US Airlines Promise Better Service for Disabled Travelers

The chief executive officers of several major domestic airlines are pledging to do a better job of servicing disabled passengers going forward.

In a joint statement obtained by website Disability Scoop, the CEOs of Alaska Air Group, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, and the executive chairman of Southwest Airlines, all signed a letter promising improvements.

“Passengers with disabilities represent one of the fastest growing traveler segments, and we recognize the importance of facilitating a safe, seamless journey for them,” reads the statement. “We recognize the need for a specific commitment to remove barriers to safe, accessible air travel.”

Airlines have been under scrutiny over how they deal with disabled travelers. While those needing help are still able to board the airplane first, anybody who has ever flown – disabled or not – knows the difficulty in navigating the narrow aisles with a wheelchair. And there have been several instance this year alone of passengers reporting damage to their wheelchairs due to the way it was stored after being seated.

The CEOs pledged to do better for passengers with “mobility, cognitive and social disabilities.”

Disability Scoop said that the airline industry is just one segment that is working through its umbrella trade group, Airlines for America, to increase accessibility in plane travel. To that end, the airlines that signed the joint statement also say they will create a passenger accessibility advisory group to counsel them on future policies for the disabled.