disabled passenger Archives - Runway GirlRunway Girl

Qantas 737-800 on touchdown. (The carrier is offering a new discount of carers of disabled passengers.)

Airlines advertise airfare concessions for disabled passenger carers

More airlines are working on improving the customer experience for passengers who need assistance when flying due to disability or long-term... Continue Reading

An airport seat designated for a PRM; it is yellow and shows a wheelchair symbol

Press Release: IATA guidance seeks to improve transport of mobility aids

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced new guidance to assist airlines and handling agents to transport mobility aids ... Continue Reading

This image is of an Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 arriving into Perth's international airport after a long flight from Auckland airport. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American long-haul, mid-size wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Its variants seat 242 to 335 passengers in typical three-class seating configurations. It is the first airliner with an airframe constructed primarily of composite materials. The 787 was designed to be 20% more fuel-efficient than the Boeing 767, which it was intended to replace. The 787 Dreamliner's distinguishing features include mostly electrical flight systems, raked wingtips, and noise-reducing chevrons on its engine nacelles.

New inward-facing herringbone and business-plus for Air NZ 787

Air New Zealand’s next Business Premier seat for its Boeing 787-9 is an inward-facing herringbone, and includes a front row business-plus pr... Continue Reading

Rear view of a man in wheelchair with a disability at the airport. Mobility Aid. United dignity

UK mulls new passenger protections, including for wheelchair users

The UK government is considering mandating that airlines provide wheelchair users and PRMs with “the full amount of compensation” for any da... Continue Reading

A rendering of the Collins-made nextgen lav for the 737 MAX, with touchless tech and micro-LEDs shown.

Two accessible lav options to be offered on 737 MAX: Collins Aerospace

Boeing’s next generation of 737 MAX twinjets will offer two types of accessible lavatory options for operators — including a more spac... Continue Reading

Airbus says forward A320 lav with tip-up seat is designated PRM lav

In September, Runway Girl Network published an article analysing the interiors of Lufthansa’s new Airbus A321neo, noting that the airline ha... Continue Reading

Great Western Railway IET train at the arrival platform.

First class on Great Western Railway IET train takes the strain

Intercity travel in the UK is notorious for expensive train tickets and poor service, but there are very good deals available for a more lux... Continue Reading

The Air4All system onboard, showing that wheelchairs could be supported without removing seats. The DOT is now eyeing a new rule for PRMs to stay in their own wheelchairs

Design enables wheelchairs in cabins without reducing seats

Disability activists and certain aircraft cabin design experts have long fought to usher in an industry step change by enabling powered whee... Continue Reading

Service dog, a Labrador Retriever, at the airport

Exploring airline form accessibility for service animal handlers

After a lengthy rulemaking process, the US Department of Transportation’s new amendments to the Air Carrier Access Act finally went into eff... Continue Reading

DOT service animal rule lifts some proposed burdens on handlers

US Department of Transportation officials have formally amended the Air Carrier Access Act to ensure airlines are not required to recognize ... Continue Reading

American Airlines changes course on wheelchair weight limit policy

American Airlines is no longer strictly adhering to weight restrictions which prevented some disabled passengers with wheelchairs from flyin... Continue Reading

An American Eagle Airlines CRJ700 in-flight, with American's signature flag livery seen in the shot. A blue sky in the background.

American looks to modify its wheelchair weight limits for regionals

American Airlines is reviewing its guidelines governing the transport of mobility devices and wheelchairs in the cargo holds of its regional... Continue Reading

Exploring a dream scenario for Universal Design in the aircraft cabin

During a recent Passenger Experience Conference webinar, hosted by Reed Exhibitions, consultant Gina Emrich shared a dream scenario that wou... Continue Reading

PRMs share their concerns as air travel restarts with new protocols

As aviation begins to recover from the shock impact of the COVID-19 crisis, and #PaxEx changes are implemented on the ground and in the air,... Continue Reading

Op-Ed: When airlines damage my wheelchair, they take away my legs

Deb Young is a survivor. In October 2013, a horrific car accident left the long-time educator a triple amputee. Since then, she has experien... Continue Reading