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'We aren't being treated equally, with dignity'

Harriet Robinson,BBC News, West of Englandand
Bea Swallow,BBC News, West of England
News imageBBC Josh Wintersgill wearing a dark blue puffer rain coat and grey jeans. He is looking at the camera beside a stone gateway entrance and a patch of grassBBC
Josh Wintersgill said many airlines were not doing enough to make journeys safe and comfortable for disabled passengers

A disability campaigner says airlines need to update their regulations to better support those with mobility issues.

Somerset-based Josh Wintersgill, from the Rights on Flights group, is calling on the government to implement a new piece of legislation to better support disabled air travellers.

"To be quite frank, we're bored of it now. We aren't being treated equally, with dignity," he said.

Last week, he met Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, who said she "looked forward to working closely together to improve the sector for everyone".

She added that "everyone has the right to fly with dignity and ease".

Mr Wintersgill, who has used a powered chair for 20 years, said passengers should get consistent treatment, but seemed to get different experiences with different airlines.

Disabled passengers have previously told the BBC they were refused travel due to the weight of their wheelchairs, charged extra for a personal care assistant and treated without compassion by airline staff.

News imageGetty Images An airline assistance worker wearing a yellow hi-vis vest and a walkie talkie clipped to his waistband. He is pushing a man in a wheelchair through the entrance of a plane. Getty Images
Campaigners want legislation which ensures people with disabilities "are not excluded from travelling due to their condition"

In 2023, Rights on Flights drafted an Assisted Air Travel Act [AATA], which aimed to improve air travel safety for disabled passengers.

It called for:

  • The institution of a complaint resolution official to handle situations affecting disabled people as they arose
  • Clear-cut processes and procedures for the transport of mobility aids
  • Legal obligations for the accessibility of airports and aeroplanes
  • A new way of funding free transport of carers, where one is needed to comply with safety rules
  • New fast-tracked process and procedure to address damaged or lost mobility aids
  • A tiered system of enforcement tools with direct compensation to passengers for minor violations
  • Greater involvement of disabled people in the decision-making processes of airport managing bodies and airlines
News imageGFX Media Josh Wintersgill wearing a full grey tracksuit and black gloves. He is smiling as he explores through a forestGFX Media
Mr Wintersgill said passengers using powered wheelchairs were often challenged over the weight or battery in the chair

Mr Wintersgill said: "We are absolutely adamant that we are going to see progress and commitment from the new government.

"We need to make sure that we get this world class piece of legislation in place, so that it prevents the issues that we keep seeing day after day."

Earlier this month, an annual report into accessibility at airports by the Civil Aviation Authority was published.

Covering April 2023 to March 2024, it rated 11 airports as "very good" but said five airports needed to make improvements.

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