Civil Aviation Requirement For Carriage of Passengers With Disabilities
Civil Aviation Requirement For Carriage of Passengers With Disabilities
Civil Aviation Requirement For Carriage of Passengers With Disabilities
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Air transportation today has been made easier than ever. The
Government policies on ‘Open Sky’ allowed the growth of airlines and also
nonscheduled operators in the country. The new ideas of Low Cost and
Low Frill concept have also brought the common man with average
income group to travel by air.
1.2 Whereas persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility like
everyone else are increasingly given the possibility to travel by air, there
lies a need to standardize the conditions for travel of such persons so as
to facilitate their acceptance and handling of their carriage by the airlines
and other operators.
1.3 This CAR establishes regulations for the protection of and provision of
assistance to disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility
traveling by air in order to protect them against any form of discrimination
and to ensure that they receive all possible assistance with due respect
and dignity.
1.4 For the purpose of this CAR, the Incapacitated Persons or Persons with
Disability/ Reduced Mobility are considered the same.
1.5 This CAR is issued under the provisions of Rule 133 A of the Aircraft
Rules, 1937 for information, guidance and compliance by the concerned
agencies.
3. DEFINITIONS
3.1 ‘Disabled person’ or ‘person with reduced mobility’ means any person
whose mobility when using transport is reduced due to any physical
disability (sensory or locomotor, permanent or temporary), intellectual
disability or impairment, or any other cause of disability, or age, and whose
situation needs appropriate attention and the adaptation to his or her
particular needs of the service made available to all passengers. (Ref. EU
Journal L204/1 dt. 26 July, 2006)
3.2 A person with reduced mobility (PRM) is understood to mean any person
whose mobility is reduced due to any physical disability (sensory or
locomotory), an intellectual impairment, age, or any other cause of
disability when using transport and whose situation needs special attention
and the adaptation to the person’s needs of the services made available to
all passengers. (Ref. IATA working document, dated 11 May, 2001)
4. REQUIREMENTS
4.1 No airline shall refuse to carry persons with disability or persons with reduced
mobility and their assistive aids/devices, escorts and guide dogs including
their presence in the cabin, provided such persons or their representatives, at
the time of booking and /or check-in for travel, inform the airlines of their
requirement. The airlines shall incorporate appropriate provisions in the online
form for booking tickets so that all the required facilities are made available to
the passengers with disabilities at the time of check-in.
4.2 The airline shall formulate a detailed procedure for carriage of disabled
persons or persons with reduced mobility and publish the same on their
website.
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4.4 All airlines and airport management shall run program for their staff engaged in
passenger handling e.g. cabin crew / commercial staff including floor walkers and
counter staff etc. for sensitization and developing awareness for assisting
passengers with disabilities. The training program shall be conducted at the time of
initial training and a refresher shall be conducted every 3 years on the subject. Only
such persons who have current course shall be assigned to handling disabled
persons. The training program should interalia, include assisting disabled persons in
filling up travel documents as may be required while providing assistance in flight.
4.5 No airline shall refuse to engage in interline transactions for carriage of disabled
persons or persons with reduced mobility or to commence/continue interline
transportation of such persons.
Note: This requirement does not require airlines to create interline agreements
solely for this purpose.
4.6 Many persons with disabilities do not require constant assistance for their activities.
Therefore, if the passenger declares independence in feeding, communication with
reasonable accommodation, toileting and personal needs, the airlines shall not insist
for the presence of an escort.
4.7 No airline shall refuse to carry persons traveling in a stretcher or incubator when they
are accompanied by an escort who will be responsible for them and their needs of
embarking, disembarking, during flight, and during emergency evacuation. The
required number of seats for such travel must be reserved in advance at applicable
fares.
4.8 All airlines shall provide necessary assistance to persons with disabilities/ impairment
who wish to travel alone without an escort.
4.9 Persons with disabilities not holding any certificate shall also be provided necessary
assistance as well as the aids such as wheel chairs, ambulifts etc. In such cases
during ticketing/ check-in the individuals’ degree of disability and his need for
assistance may be confirmed. Airlines shall not refuse carriage in such cases.
4.10 (a) Airport operator shall display International symbol of Disability within the visible
proximity of the main entrance of the arrival/departure terminal, informing that they
may contact the concerned airline operator for special assistance. Special assistance
to be provided by Airport operator/ security agencies to the visually impaired in
locating concerned airline operator counter/ office. Airport operator shall provide
dedicated reserved parking space, toilets with independent entrance with proper
signage and barrier free access to all areas in the terminal building.
(b) Once a passenger has bought a ticket for travel, it is obligatory on part of the
airline that he reaches the aircraft from the departure lounge, and at the end of the
journey from the aircraft to the arrival lounge exit, without incurring any further
expenditure.
4.11 Sufficient directional signage should be placed inside the airport regarding the
availability of assistance for disabled person or person with reduced mobility.
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4.12 Airlines shall not limit the number or types of incapacitated passengers on their
flights other than for specific reason for orderly evacuation from the aircraft
exits and due to physical limitations such as size of the aircraft.
4.13 Airlines shall provide assistance to meet the particular needs of the persons
with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility, from the departing airport
terminal to the destination airport terminal.
4.14 Persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility have equal choice
of seat allocation as others, subject to safety requirements and physical
limitations of the aircraft - like seats near the emergency exits and seats with
more leg-room.
5. MEDICAL CLEARANCE
5.1 No Medical clearance or special forms shall be insisted from persons with
disabilities or persons with reduced mobility who only require special
assistance at the airport for assistance in embarking/ disembarking and a
reasonable accommodation in flight, who otherwise do not require any
additional assistance.
5.2 A medical clearance by the airline may be required only when the airline has
received information that the passenger
Note: Persons with specific disabilities should plan to have all required forms
for assistance ready in advance, to avoid flight delays. Forms and information
will be made available on each airline’s website.
5.3 Any passenger having any of the conditions mentioned in 5.2 (a) through 5.2
(d) be subjected to prior clearance for air travel by the medical
departments/advisors of the carrying airlines. In case the passenger has a
connecting flight with another airline, this medical clearance should be
accepted at the first point of check-in and the information transmitted by the
first Airlines to the connecting airlines so that the passenger is not required to
furnish the same again and again.
5.4 Before refusing carriage of any such passengers, the airlines shall refer to
their medical departments/ advisors for advise/ clarification in accordance with
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5.5 The airline shall enter for each person with disabilities or person with reduced
mobility or incapacitated passenger the information sheet requiring special
assistance.
Note 2 – The airline shall ensure that at time of check-in airline staff is
alerted and shall verify that all needs required by such
passenger in advance in the relevant forms have been made
available.
All assistive aids shall be provided without any extra cost to the passengers.
6.1 Wheelchairs
a) Airlines shall ensure that at all stations, for boarding / disembarking purposes,
before departure, during intermediate stops and on arrival wheel chairs are
available without any extra charge and that advance arrangements made with
other concerned agencies like Airport Management where necessary to
ensure that movement of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced
mobility within the airport is not restricted.
b) Passengers who intend to check-in with their own wheelchair shall be given
the option of using a station/airport wheelchair. If the passengers prefer to use
their own wheelchair within the airport, they shall be permitted to use it up to
the aircraft, whereupon it may be stowed at an appropriate place in the
aircraft. At the time of disembarking, the passenger’s wheel chair should be
returned to him to enable him to transfer himself from the aisle seat directly
into his own wheel chair.
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6.2 Stretchers
Upon advance request, and with a charge for such material as may be levied,
the airlines shall make stretchers and associated equipment, e.g. blankets,
pillows, sheets, nursing materials and privacy curtains, available for
passengers who cannot use the standard airline seat in a sitting or reclining
position for the class of service desired.
7.1 Boarding
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7.2 Seating
7.3 Briefing
a) Before take off, persons with certain types of disabilities or persons with
reduced mobility, incapacitated passengers and their escorts may be
individually briefed on emergency procedures, cabin layout and
specialized equipment supplied by the airline. The responsibility for such
special briefing shall rests with airline’s senior cabin crew on the flight.
Note: Passengers with assistive aids and devices may be allowed to take the same
as a hand baggage as these devices are delicate and prone to breakage.
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a) Upon request, the airline shall make arrangements for assisting persons with
disabilities or persons with reduced mobility and incapacitated passengers in
baggage delivery and getting out of the airport, even when they are
accompanied by an escort. The checked in baggage with ‘Priority Tags’
should be kept in a safe place by the ground staff till the passenger arrives.
b) Wheelchairs and other assistive devices checked-in shall, within the shortest
possible time, be delivered as close as possible to the door of the aircraft.
8. PROVISION OF AMBULANCES
8.1 The Aerodrome operator shall provide ambulance facility for the passenger on
arrival and departure at/from the airport, to such passengers on stretchers,
upon advance request by the passengers or their representative or by the
airline.
9.1 All airlines should assist a passenger with disability or reduced mobility to get
to the toilet and to provide essential safety information.
9.2 Airlines shall provide accommodation for passenger with disability or reduced
mobility which may require extra leg space without any extra charge.
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9.3 Airline should ensure proper storage and handling of mobility equipment or
any such assistive devices used by the persons with disability or reduced
mobility. In case of lost or damage to such equipment the airlines shall be
liable for provide suitable compensation.
9.5 All information required by the airlines to facilitate carriage of the disable
person or person with reduced mobility must be gathered by the airline during
the online booking process or through the call centres. Airlines shall obtain all
the information about the specific requirements of the persons with disabilities
at the time of ticketing. Once the ticket is confirmed no further enquires shall
be made.
9.6 The following information should help the airline to make arrangements:
b) mobility equipment and disability aids that need to be carried by the airline
either in cabin and / or aircraft hold;
Note: The above is not an exhaustive list and during online booking, the airlines
should gather all such information without requiring the passenger to provide
additional information later.
10.1 A disabled person or person with reduced mobility who considers that this
regulation has been infringed may bring the matter to the attention of the
managing body of airlines, airport or other concerned authorities, as the case
may be.
10.2 The managing body of the airlines and the airport shall ensure speedy and
proper redressal of these complaints.
(K. Gohain)
Director General of Civil Aviation