Several commercial aviation stakeholders are actively working to make air travel more accessible for persons of reduced mobility (PRMs), including by developing tie-down solutions that would enable a wheelchair user to remain in their own chair onboard aircraft.
But even as this work continues apace — and designers navigate stringent safety certification requirements — Mesquite, Texas-based Letronics has observed a growing need to provide a comfortable and dignified method of transferring PRMs of various sizes to aircraft seats.
Weighing 170 lbs, its so-called WL780 PRM Transfer Lift — also known as the Wise Lift — can accommodate PRMs who weigh up to 450 lbs. A 6ft 9in man in attendance at the recent APEX Global Expo in Long Beach, where the lift debuted, was successfully hoisted in the lift on the show floor.
The lift ticks other important boxes: it provides PRMs with a comfortable and dignified transfer to an aircraft seat whilst facilitating a “more efficient” boarding process, as Letronics marketing manager Connie Villalpando explained to Runway Girl Network at the Expo.
The PRM is fitted with a sizable lifting sling and lifted out of their wheelchair at the aircraft door, as described by Villalpando. Ground crew can then maneuver the lift onto the aircraft and down the aisle, even into snug seating configurations.
The lift is positioned in a row behind and in front of the passenger’s desired seat. The passenger is then lowered into the seat. On arrival at their destination, another lift waiting on the jet bridge would ensure the PRM is raised from the seat, maneuvered off the aircraft and lowered into a wheelchair.
Notably, the lift is also billed as being “safer” for passengers and crew. According to Letronics, ground support staff can operate the lift with ease and precision — an important consideration given the possibility that staffers can be injured when manually lifting and carrying non-ambulatory passengers.
The WL780, which costs $26,000, can integrate with a wide range of aircraft, from regional jets to widebodies, and accommodates various seating configurations. The battery lasts for about a week, Villalpando said.
A forthcoming WL790 model extends to 96 inches, facilitating even more seating configurations, she added, noting that this walk-on/walk-off innovation does not sacrifice any seats onboard.
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