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What would it take to make air travel fairer for all?

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Accessible air travel

In the news

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Smoother flights. Air travel can be especially challenging for people who use wheelchairs. Proposed new rules could make flying easier for US passengers with disabilities, according to the New York Times. The current proposals could facilitate officials’ ability to impose penalties on airlines that break wheelchairs or return them late to customers. Government data reveal that in 2023, airlines mishandled roughly 11,000 scooters and wheelchairs. [NYT]

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Improving air travel. There have been decades of protests that airline workers regularly damage wheelchairs. Now, potential new guidelines could allow US air travelers with disabilities to have a safer journey, the Washington Post reports. Under the measures, airlines would be required to fix or replace broken wheelchairs quickly. Their employees would also undergo mandatory training each year to better serve passengers with disabilities. About 5.5 million Americans rely on wheelchairs, according to official data. [WaPo]

“We found about 90 pain points that people with disabilities face when flying, such as getting off a plane and finding a restroom if you are a blind or low-vision passenger.”

On McKinsey.com

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Aging and accessibility. Air travel can be daunting for passengers with disabilities, as they face obstacles in navigating airports, security checkpoints, and crowds and in getting on and off planes. Michael Swiatek, the chief strategy officer at Abra and a longtime airline executive, is legally blind. In an interview with McKinsey’s Eliza Cooper and Roberta Fusaro, he emphasizes the growing need for inclusivity. “As societies age, more and more people are becoming less and less abled,” Swiatek reflects.

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Golden age of accessibility. Awareness of the challenges faced by people with disabilities and the available support for those people have greatly improved over the past 30 years, says Swiatek. The rise of smartphones and their improved operating systems have enabled people who are blind or have low vision to navigate various aspects of life more easily. For example, AI can answer questions about menu items and their ingredients. Discover a framework that business leaders can use to create more disability inclusion in air travel.

See tools for inclusive air travel

—Edited by Belinda Yu, editor, Atlanta

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by "Only McKinsey" <publishing@email.mckinsey.com> - 01:05 - 5 Apr 2024

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What would it take to make air travel fairer for all?

Accessible air travel

In the news

“We found about 90 pain points that people with disabilities face when flying, such as getting off a plane and finding a restroom if you are a blind or low-vision passenger.”

On McKinsey.com