Passenger with disabilities denied boarding on a flight against EU regulations

Passenger with disabilities denied boarding on a flight against EU regulations
People with disabilities have the right to travel and take planes.

But sometimes they find problems to take a plane
when they are travelling alone.

The decision taken by an airline of preventing a passenger with disabilities to take his flight goes against EU regulations. A report by the Vice President of the Commission responsible for transport Siim Kallas confirms this procedure is not legal.

On 4 April, Shuaib Chalklen, a UN Special Rapporteur on Disability and wheelchair user, was informed that he would not be able to travel unaccompanied on his flight London-Geneva, as he could not independently use the sanitary facilities. The standard time for the route London-Geneva is 1h40 and the passenger was used to travel for professional reasons.


Shuaib Chalklen


The EU regulation concerning the rights of disabled people and persons with reduced mobility when traveling by air "prohibits operators from refusing reservation or boarding to persons because of their disability". These rules apply to all commercial passenger air services on departure, transit or arrival within the territory of a Member State. The only exception to this rule can be made "in order to meet applicable safety requirements established by international, Community or national law.

On 11 April, Transport Commissioner Kallas published a report on this regulation, mentioning that some carriers "tend to mix up requirements related to flight safety". The denial of boarding must only be done for flight safety reasons. The Commissioner also recognized there are still problems with the implementation of the regulation.

Disability organisations encourage the inclusion of the disability perspective in airline staff trainings in order to limit barriers to the free movement of people with disabilities