Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
04 December 2014 09:32
The new rules strengthen the rights of disabled air passengers
New rules which came into effect this week will strengthen the rights of disabled air passengers.
The Civil Aviation (Access to Air Travel for Disabled Persons and Persons with Reduced Mobility) Regulations 2014 bring UK law in line with EU rules which say that all disabled passengers have the right to special assistance.
Over the past three months, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been working with a number of airports and airlines to ensure information about special assistance contains more details and can be found more easily on their websites.
The new regulations give the CAA power to force companies to comply with these special assistance requirements.
Mark Harper, the minister for disabled people, said the move made "good business sense", as disabled people in the UK and their families have a spending power of more than £200 billion.
Iain Osborne, the CAA's regulatory policy director, added the new powers will help to improve and enhance "the passenger experience" for people with disabilities or reduced mobility.
He said it is essential that these passengers have easy access to high-quality special assistance information, for example on travelling with a pre-existing medical condition.
Mr Osborne said the CAA had looked at a number of airline and airport websites, adding that the information was often hard to find or lacking in detail.
He said working with the aviation industry over several weeks has helped to make sure the information is presented much more clearly and "just one click" from the homepage.
Mr Osborne said he was happy to note that the majority of airlines and airports have made these improvements and are now displaying the updated information on their websites.
The CAA will work with those companies which have not yet updated their websites to ensure they comply fully with the new rules, he added.
25 May 2018
Two popular sunscreens become significantly less effective once the wearer has been in sea water, a watchdog has warned.
[more...]
24 May 2018
A recent report by Cancer Research UK claims young people who are exposed to just one extra junk food TV advert per week consume up to 18,000 extra calories every year.
Eating one egg a day may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes, according to a new study.
22 May 2018
Theresa May is to give a speech explaining how artificial intelligence will be used to help prevent 22,000 cancer deaths a year by 2033.
19 May 2018
A recent study in Taiwan has revealed that heart attacks occur more frequently in cold weather - with the figure increasing "dramatically" when the temperature drops below 15C (59F).
18 May 2018
A team of scientists have managed to successfully conduct a "memory transplant" between snails by transferring RNA, a form of genetic information, from one snail to another.
17 May 2018
A new study has found that certain types of exercise do not prevent the onset or worsening of dementia and may even contribute to further cognitive impairment.
16 May 2018
The average British child has visited four European cities and been on three long-haul holidays as well as skiing twice - all before their 10th birthday.
15 May 2018
Ethiopian Airlines has unveiled a new "landmark" route from Manchester Airport to the north African city of Ethiopia.
12 May 2018
Health experts have expressed concern at recent outbreaks of measles across England.
Cinema drinks contain "unacceptable" levels of bacteria
10 May 2018
The HPV vaccine offered to teenage girls has proved to be safe and effective in preventing the virus that causes cervical cancer, an independent review has revealed.