The WestJet Group, Canada’s leading low-cost airline, has announced the purchase of 22 onboard wheelchairs from Airchair which will be installed on the airline’s Boeing 737 fleet.
WestJet will also be installing onboard wheelchairs across its entire fleet, further cementing the airline’s commitment to providing accessibility services across all touchpoints of the guest experience.
WestJet will be the first Canadian airline to utilize the new Airchair II model, which has been designed to comply with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulation 14 CFR Part 382.65.
“The purchase of these new onboard wheelchairs will allow us to serve guests with accessibility needs throughout the travel journey, in particular our guests who need assistance in boarding and taking their seat,” said Todd Peterson, WestJet Director of Regulatory Affairs and Accessibility.
“Airchair II provides a safe and comfortable option for transferring passengers within the cabin and to their seats, while simultaneously making it easier for our cabin crew to use and stow aisle chairs.”
The modern and innovative design of Airchair II meets all applicable U.S. DOT requirements and is the only onboard wheelchair tested to withstand a Suddenly Applied Load of up to 250kg. As the leading manufacturer of onboard wheelchairs, Airchair II also takes into consideration the design of today’s aircraft and the needs of the cabin crew to be able to provide a safe and comfortable experience for each passenger. Airchair II is lightweight (6.8kg/15lb), easy to stow, deploy and move around the aircraft cabin.
Sarah McOnie of Airchair commented saying, “We are delighted to begin this programme with WestJet. In a really challenging commercial environment WestJet needed to ensure that they chose an onboard wheelchair that met their accessibility requirements, hence why they settled on Airchair II.”
About Airchair
Airchair was developed in 2007 to help airlines match a key regulatory and social requirement to a passenger’s needs. Since that time, Airchair has invested in product design and innovation to produce an aisle wheelchair that meets the needs of today’s airlines, enabling accessible travel for all.
The founder of Airchair has combined his engineering experience with his knowledge of reduced mobility and combined these skills to produce this neat, lightweight and easy to manoeuvre aircraft wheelchair.
The entire design focuses on efficiency and passenger comfort. It is lightweight but remarkably strong, incorporates a unique retracting back support and can be folded small enough that it can be stored in an overhead locker or dog box.
About WestJet
WestJet took to the skies in 1996 with just over 200 employees and three aircraft operating service to five destinations. Since then, WestJet has pioneered low-cost travel in Canada, cutting airfares in half, and increasing the flying population in Canada by more than 50 per cent. Today, more than 14,000 WestJetters support nearly 200 aircraft, connecting guests globally to over 100 destinations across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.
Featured image credited to Airchair
