Need for power-driven wheelchairs in airports
Therecent notification of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revising norms for air travel, which included allowing airlines to levy a fee for wheelchair use by travelers who have no disabilities, is a genuine decision.
This ensures availability of the facility to those who truly need it the most, and prevents misuse of wheelchairs by able-bodied passengers. Airports are also expected to ensure the facility of an ambulift or provide a towable ramp, to help wheelchair passengers, embark and disembark with ease.
At the age of 77+, I visited a year ago with my 72+ wife, who had knee problems, traveling from Hyderabad to Amsterdam via Frankfurt on Lufthansa Airlines with a Schengen Visa, to spend few weeks with family members there. What it was to be comfortable business class travel, turned an uncomfortable experience, due to the inappropriate wheelchair facility not only in Hyderabad but also in Frankfurt and Amsterdam.
At Shamshabad Airport, blatant negligence was shown by the concerned airline staff. My wife, unable to walk from place to place due to her age and knee pain, suffered throughout the process to board or change the craft.
Shockingly, in Hyderabad, we were made to wait at the check-in counter, and finally none turned up until we decided to move on our own, fearing last-minute running. Only at that stage, one wheelchair was provided to my wife. I had to walk slowly alongside her. After the security check, I got into a battery car till the boarding gate.
At the time of boarding, the wheelchair attendant again did not turn up, and my daughter who accompanied us, had to push it herself. In Frankfurt, the experience was slightly better. In Amsterdam too, only one chair was available, which a lady attendant pushed with my wife in it, till the vehicle. She also helped with luggage collection, and we compensated her gesture.
On the return journey, incessant persuasion by my son worked, and though a bit delayed, we both were initially provided wheelchairs. But after the security check, instead of two persons,only one person remained to push two chairs alternately. After reaching the boarding counter, he left, promising to return at the time of boarding, but never turned up. To our surprise, half an hour before departure, the boarding gate number was changed.
We were panicky, as the distance to walk to the new gate was about a kilometre. Despite my problem, I had to push the wheelchair with my wife in it. Fortunately, at the eleventh hour, we reached the counter and boarded.
On reaching Frankfurt, the story turned more distressing. We were advised to be in our seats until the wheelchairs arrived. After the entire flight became empty, the crew, while leaving, assured us that we would be taken care of. None turned up, and we had no alternative, except waiting with crossed fingers.
Eventually, we saw a small bus near the ladder. With difficulty, we got down and entered it. We were dropped inside a gate about which we had no clue. The stopover time was hardly two hours. We were alarmed. However, at the last moment, we both were literally pushed in a namesake wheelchair and left to our fate at the boarding gate.
On reaching Hyderabad Airport, no wheelchair facility was available, and by then, with all the unpleasant experiences we had, we decided to walk with great difficulty instead of waiting. The root cause of the entire problem lies in it being a free service that many opt for, whether genuinely needed or not.
Overenthusiastic airline authorities cannot provide the service to all, and this approach is absolutely wrong. What was the genesis of the wheelchair facility in airports worldwide? Which airline started it first? How successful has it been? What are its significant drawbacks? How is it being misused? Why not charge for it so that it may improve? How can the service be better provided? These are pertinent questions to ponder.
The wheelchair facility is a critical service aimed at assisting passengers with mobility challenges, the elderly, disabled, or those with temporary health issues. Its genesis dates back to the mid-20th century when airlines and airports sought to accommodate passengers with diverse needs.
The service stemmed from a desire to make air travel more inclusive. Major international airlines like Pan Am and American Airlines were among the first to offer wheelchair assistance, which later became a standardized service across airlines worldwide.
Gradually, wheelchair assistance has become an essential service at most airports, often mandated by aviation authorities such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the US Department of Transportation, and India’s DGCA.
It provides a vital lifeline for passengers who cannot navigate large terminals, those with permanent disabilities, the elderly, or individuals temporarily impaired due to injury or illness, often traveling alone with no one to help.
However, drawbacks and issues have been plenty, as reflected in our experience. Long wait times, lack of personnel, and poor coordination, especially during layovers in large hubs like Frankfurt, are common. The service often suffers from undertrained or overburdened staff. Airport or Airline contractors usually handle it, leading to variability in quality across airports.
Lack of wheelchairs or staff during peak times is another issue. Increased demand, especially from passengers who do not genuinely need assistance but use it to skip long lines, further strains the system.
Charging for wheelchair service may seem like a deterrent to misuse, but it risks making travel inaccessible for those who genuinely need it. Air travel is already costly, and adding fees for essential accessibility services could burden disabled or elderly passengers. However, as part of genuine improvements and future enhancements, a thought may be given to better staffing and training for efficient handling of wheelchair assistance.
Technology integration, such as real-time tracking systems, medical proof screening, and enhanced coordination during layovers in large international hubs, could make transitions seamless.
Who should be held responsible for the inability to comply with the request, having agreed to it and keeping aged passengers tense until the last minute, and finally not turning up, as it happened to us when I had to push my wife’s chair myself and walking long distance with difficulty, despite my age of 77?
Undoubtedly, the responsibility for failure to provide wheelchair assistance promptly lies with the airline, airport ground-handling services, and airport management. They all together and separately, must be held accountable for not delivering agreed services, especially considering the physical and emotional strain faced by elderly passengers.
Wheelchair assistance in airports faces multidimensional challenges, from inconsistent service quality to overuse, inadequate manpower, and poor coordination between airlines and ground-handling agencies. Charging for the facility may not be the best solution, as it risks restricting accessibility for passengers who truly need it, particularly the elderly and those with medical conditions.
Instead, the focus must shift toward structural and technological reform. Airlines and airport authorities should invest in continuous training programs for attendants, coupled with real-time digital tracking of wheelchair requests.
Dedicated Mobility Support Units in airports, functioning round the clock under a single nodal authority, could vastly improve service efficiency and passenger confidence. It seems that Singapore’s Changi Airport, London’s Heathrow, Dubai International etc. have adopted advanced models, ranging from automated electric wheelchairs to pre-bookable smart mobility services managed through mobile apps.
India too, through DGCA’s proactive approach, study them and can initiate a nationwide policy standardizing minimum service levels, mandatory response times, and graded certification for ground-handling agencies providing wheelchair assistance.
A thoughtful step in the direction of incentivizing private innovation by encouraging partnerships with reputed mobility technology companies to introducepower-driven wheelchairs and robotic mobility aids within terminals, may ensure safety, dignity, and autonomy for elderly and disabled travelers.
