Aviation: Disability — Written Question

Question

Helen Maguire

Liberal Democrat — Epsom and Ewell

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the forthcoming closure of the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) disabled people still feel supported in travelling by air and (b) the aviation sector can access information to assist disabled passengers.

Answer

Keir Mather

The Department for Transport is working closely with the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People and other government departments to ensure disabled people can continue to access the mobility services they need.

Aviation must be accessible for all. UK law entitles passengers to assistance from airports and airlines to help them to travel by air, with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ensuring compliance.

To strengthen support and improve aviation accessibility, the Department established the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, which published an independent report in July 2025. The report set out 19 recommendations across five key areas: training, passenger information and communications, mobility aid design and handling, non-visible impairments and tailored support.

The Group is now focused on helping the industry implement these recommendations and will report annually to the Department on progress.