In December, the European Disability Forum (EDF) presented the results of its study on the conditions of passenger transportation for persons with disabilities by various airlines around the world. To discuss the findings of this research and to more broadly address the topic of accessible air travel, a webinar titled “Humanitarian Aid and Accessibility of Air Transport” was held in cooperation with international expert organizations. Representatives of the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAIU), who participated in the study, also took part in the webinar.
The discussion demonstrated that, despite existing international and European standards, real travel conditions remain unequal, unpredictable, and often unsafe for passengers with different types of disabilities.
According to EDF’s 9th Human Rights Report, “Humanity Denied: Air Travel and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” nearly 7 out of 10 persons with disabilities believe they experience discrimination during air travel. In practice, this means that every trip becomes a test, and freedom of movement becomes a risk. One passenger summed up her experience by saying:
“I never know if I will be able to fly and whether my money will be lost for nothing.”
During the webinar, Marie Denninghaus emphasized that the level of assistance persons with disabilities can receive at airports varies significantly depending on the country and the specific airport. Even though the law directly obliges airlines and operators to provide support, inconsistent practices lead to situations where passengers either do not receive assistance on time or are forced to undergo complicated procedures without accompaniment. She noted that staff repeatedly report difficulties caused by the lack of clear standards and training. Marie stressed that not a single case of misuse of assistance by passengers with disabilities has been found — all needs are legitimate and arise from real barriers created by society.
Michael Harrington focused on specific stages of travel where barriers occur most often. People face unclear conditions, fragmented travel information, confusing restrictions on the weight or type of wheelchairs, a lack of information about required documents, and the absence of adapted services within the airport. Even routes inside the terminal may be inaccessible: signage is unclear, information is unreadable or not accompanied by audio formats. Security and screening procedures can also be stressful, especially when staff are insufficiently trained to work with passengers with different types of impairments.
Webinar participants confirmed what the EDF report highlights: weight and size limits for wheelchairs differ even between flights on the same aircraft type. For example, on the Airbus 321, SAS limits wheelchair weight to 149 kg, while Finnair permits up to 300 kg. For many people, this means one thing — either they cannot fly, or their mobility device risks being left behind.
Some airlines do not provide an onboard aisle wheelchair, forcing some passengers to crawl on the floor to reach the toilet. Such cases have been recorded for Luxair, Tarom, and Vueling.
There are also restrictions related to guide dogs. Some airlines do not recognize national certification systems for assistance dogs, requiring international documents that cannot be obtained in several countries. This applies, in particular, to Brussels Airlines, Ryanair, and Aer Lingus. Participants stressed that the lack of a unified approach creates unpredictability and risks, and sometimes makes it entirely impossible for a blind or visually impaired person to travel.
The EDF study also records cases of potential EU law violations:
KM Malta charges fees for providing assistance;
Bulgaria Air, KM Malta, and Sky Express require medical certificates for certain types of disability;
Luxair, Bulgaria Air, and KM Malta demand longer advance notice than the law allows.
Some companies — including EasyJet, Ryanair, and LOT — refuse travel with a guide dog on certain routes, while KLM, Air France, and Iberia require more advance notice than the rules permit.
Provisions intended to guarantee equality do not work in practice. As the EDF report states:
“Freedom of movement remains an illusion for persons with disabilities.”
Passenger testimonies confirm this. A person with a disability from Germany says that, whenever possible, they choose trains or cars because air travel always involves numerous barriers — from lengthy negotiations with airlines to having to buy an extra ticket for an assistant, from the complete absence of accessible toilets to the inability to travel in one’s own wheelchair.
A passenger from Spain reports having to wait more than an hour after arrival, hoping that her wheelchair is not damaged, as its loss or repair means months of limited mobility and bureaucratic procedures. A passenger from Belgium states that wheelchair damage occurs in about 3 out of 10 cases, despite warning labels and instructions for staff.
Materials also describe situations where people must change their baby’s diaper on the bathroom floor because there is no changing table. Another person with a disability recalls being left in a corridor at Lisbon Airport for three hours, without access to water, food, a toilet, or the possibility to call support staff.
Kamil Güngör emphasized that different types of disabilities require different solutions and that the key principle should be respect for the passenger’s dignity and autonomy. Accessibility cannot be reduced to technical parameters — it begins with attitudes and understanding.
Gunta Anca, Vice President of EDF and a frequent air traveler who uses a wheelchair, noted that for years she has faced boarding refusals and damage to her electric wheelchair. She stressed that this report should be viewed not as a list of complaints, but as a roadmap for change that should form the basis for updating European legislation and corporate policies.
Webinar participants agreed that regulatory updates must include:
a full ban on boarding refusals on the basis of disability,
mandatory compensation for damaged assistive devices,
elimination of pre-approval requirements,
mutual recognition of guide dogs across the EU,
and the introduction of minimum accessibility standards for all airlines and aircraft types.
These requirements complement and expand the webinar experts’ calls for improved staff training, rule harmonization, and increased transparency and accountability across all parties — from airport operators to carriers.
The webinar materials and research data provide a clear picture: today’s air transport system remains unequal and dangerously unpredictable for millions of persons with disabilities. At the same time, both the webinar and the EDF report offer a clear understanding of what the way forward can look like: systemic policy updates, mandatory accountability for carriers, recognition of diverse needs, and genuine freedom of movement for all.
Oleksandra Perkova, communications manager
