Seminar

Passengers with reduced mobility when travelling by air

Sofia, 31 March-1 April 2009

Seminar

Passengers with reduced mobility when travelling by air

Sofia, 31 March-1 April 2009

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

Member States’ obligation

“Member States should supervise and ensure compliance with this Regulation and designate an appropriate body to carry out the enforcement tasks…”

Regulation 1107/2006

The National enforcement body (NEB) designated by Bulgaria under Article 14 of the Regulation is

Directorate General “Civil Aviation Administration”

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

The role of the NEB to ensure the success of the Regulation

• Comprehend the role of the NEB

- ensure good coordination among all the stakeholders involved

• Identify industry players• Inform aviation stakeholders to secure compliance• Deal with complaints• Impose sanctions• Investigation and inspections• Work with other NEBs and organizations

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

NEB and Airports

• Quality standards

- The quality standard must be in accordance with the Regulation and ECAC doc. 30 and its Annexes

- Quality standards set out for the assistance as specified in Annex I

- passengers informed about available assistance

- Quality standard published (via the websites) and monitored (interviews/implementation of complaint management system)

• Airport charges transparent and reasonable• Training• Design of airport infrastructure• Invest in appropriate equipment

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

NEB and Airlines• Ensure the compliance for assistance by air carriers according to ANNEX II of the Regulation

and ECAC doc. 30 and its Annexes• Control that all the essential information provided to passengers is in alternative formats

accessible to PRMs

- Indication of emergency exits for the blind passengers and safety instructions in Braille and text

- Specified cabin procedures

- Onboard wheelchair >100 seats and <60 seats• Safety requirements established by the EU and national law

- the size of the aircraft or its doors would physically prevent the embarkation of the PRMs• Airlines policies must be written and published• Mandatory training of the airline staff

- Control the quality of the training programme for the cabin crew• Control airline sale system compatibility with PRM notification of the need of assistance

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Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

NEB and Tour Agents and Tour operators

• Ensure the quality of the assistance through optimal transmission of PRM information

• Common data transmission system

- The development of a PRM notification tool

- IATA Recommendation Practice

- Unique construction and content of the PRM massages (PAL +CAL)

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

NEB and complaints

• “The Member States shall take measures to inform disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility of the rights under this Regulation and of the possibility of complaint to this designated body or bodies”

Article 15 (4) of the Regulation

• Complaint procedures and complaint forms

- NEB website

- EC website

- PRM organization website

- leaflets, videos …

• Monitor complaint trends

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

Regulation 1107/2006 and Regulation 261/2004 for Air Travel accessibility

• PRM issues within Regulation 261/2004

PRMs given priority in Reg. 261/2004 concerning compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation of flights or long delay of flights

– Operating air carriers shall give priority to caring PRMs and any persons or certified service dogs accompanying them. (i.e. for the next flight)

– In cases of denied boarding, cancelation and delays of any length, PRMs and any persons accompanying them shall have the right to care as soon as possible

• Reg. 261/2004 within Reg. 1107/2006

A PRM who has been denied embarkation on the grounds of his or her disability or reduced mobility and any required accompanying persons shall be offered the right to reimbursement or re-touring as provided for in Article 8 of Regulation (EC) 261/2004

Article 4(1) Reg. 1107/2006

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

Penalties

• “The Member States shall lay down rules on penalties applicable to infringements of this Regulation and shall take all the measures necessary to ensure that those rules are implemented…”

Article 16 of the Regulation 1107/2006

• Penalties:• National law – Civil Aviation Law• Effective, proportionate, dissuasive

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

NEB and other NEBs and organizations

• Communication with NEBs of other Member States

- Member States to cooperate on cross-border enforcement of the Regulation related to air passenger rights

- Transfer of information to other NEB if appropriate

- Best practices - shared during the multinational EC meetings• Close communication with the national Organization of the Disabled

people and the European Disability Forum (EDF)• Other organizations – i.e. Consumer Protection Agency, CPC

Network (Consumer protection cooperation network) for translation issues related to consumer protection

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

Difficulties • High number of non pre-notified• Problem of the definition

“Any person whose mobility when using transport is reduced to any physical disability, intellectual disability or impairment; or any other cause of disability, or age; and whose situation needs appropriate attention and adaptation to his or her particular needs of the needs of the service made available to all passengers”

• Difficulties in case of absence of pre-notification – sometimes it is difficult to face the demand

“if no notification is made, the managing body shall make all reasonable efforts to provide the assistance in such a way that the person concerned is able to take the flight for which he or she holds a reservation”

• Incomplete or erroneous notification

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

Future activities and challenges

• Ensure cooperation across all areas of operation to meet the needs of PRMs

• Air carrier agent and tour operator information transmission process control

• Update the CAA website• Develop check-list for inspections• Perform inspections to control the industry compliance with the

Regulation• Identify the reason for lack of complaints so far

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”

Thank you!

Mariana Anguelova

mangelova@caa.bg

Directorate General“Civil Aviation Administration”