What rights do airline passengers with disabilities have in Europe?
The European Parliament established a set of rights that apply to disabled people and people with reduced mobility when traveling by air. The regulations are found in EC 1107/2006 and can be downloaded here. The disabled passenger rights guaranteed by the European Union regulation are similar in scope to those found in the Air Carrier Access Act of the United States.
EC 1107/2006 declares that people with disabilities “should have opportunities for air travel comparable to those of other citizens,” and requires that they be afforded the same rights to “free movement, freedom of choice and non-discrimination.”
I have written a summary of the most important components of EU regulation EC 1107/2006. This summary includes the requirements for airlines and airports and the expectations passengers with disabilities should have when traveling by air.
Scope and Application of EC 1107/2006
Due to the international nature of air travel, the entirety of EC 1107/2006 applies only to the following flights:
- Commercial passenger air services departing from, transiting through, or arriving to airports situated in the territory of a Member State of the European Union.
- Flights operated by an EU carrier that depart from an airport in a third country [...]