MP hasn’t flown for years because he is worried what might happen to his daughter

Daniel Francis, whose girl has cerebral palsy, said the imaginable of damaged instrumentality connected oregon aft a vacation is "too upsetting to consider", starring him to debar flying for years

Airports and airlines that neglect to accommodate wheelchair users should look ineligible action, according to an MP who has chosen not to alert "for galore years".

Daniel Francis, whose girl has cerebral palsy, expressed that the hazard of instrumentality harm during oregon aft a vacation is "too upsetting to consider". The Labour MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford presented the Aviation (Accessibility) Bill successful the House of Commons connected Tuesday, advocating for stricter regulations that airlines and airports indispensable adhere to successful bid to enactment mobility oregon visually impaired passengers.

Paralympic wheelchair racing champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who leads a Department for Transport aviation accessibility adept group, pledged to collaborate with Mr Francis to formulate caller policy.

"My household has taken the determination for galore years that flying would simply beryllium excessively overmuch hassle, and the distress of a damaged oregon mislaid wheelchair astatine the extremity of a formation is excessively upsetting to consider," Mr Francis informed the Commons, recalling the past formation helium took with his household – to Spain successful 2014.

He had antecedently stated: "All excessively often, we each perceive stories and spot videos of wheelchair users being forced to crawl done oregon disconnected an airplane owed to a deficiency of equipment, cognition oregon abstraction connected board."

Regarding wheelchair damage, Mr Francis added: "For those that are capable to get connected a level successful the archetypal place, they are often near with the interest of their wheelchair being damaged successful transit oregon from a deficiency of cognition by airdrome staff."

"It’s truthful paramount that a azygous acceptable of rules and regulations are applied to each airlines to beforehand amended cognition among hose and airdrome unit to minimise the hazard of damages to wheelchair and mobility scooters."

Mr Francis called for "clearer, standardised protocols that tin beryllium relied upon by all" and a "suitable compensation and punishment complaint scheme" with fiscal penalties for airlines which autumn abbreviated of agreed standards. He besides warned that portion airports are liable for providing victims of wheelchair harm with a replacement, it does not presently person to beryllium connected a like-for-like basis.

On access, Mr Francis said "we each perceive stories and spot videos of wheelchair users being forced to crawl done oregon disconnected an airplane owed to a deficiency of equipment, cognition and abstraction connected board". He continued: "The issues of accessibility tin hap astatine check-in desks and security, on with a deficiency of wide signage and inefficient procedures. Once passengers person boarded the plane, the issues statesman to manifest ten-fold for disabled passengers."

"The existent plan of galore craft does not conscionable the needs of galore passengers. There is often inadequate abstraction for wheelchair users to navigate the compartment and the facilities disposable connected committee specified arsenic accessible bathrooms are constricted oregon non-existent connected galore flights."

"However, portion airlines whitethorn connection assistance to committee and disembark, the prime and availability of this assistance tin alteration drastically from 1 hose to different and determination is small if immoderate regulation."

"Making airports legally liable for the atrocious attraction and discriminatory practices against disabled passengers would springiness consumers the quality to writer airlines for disablement discrimination."

"Many aerial carriers bash not supply the abstraction oregon the information requirements for a rider to alert successful their ain wheelchair, and to facilitate this, wheelchair blocks should beryllium included to facilitate wheelchair users being capable to safely stay successful their chairs passim the duration of their flight."

MPs are acceptable to scrutinise the Bill much intimately astatine its 2nd speechmaking connected July 4, 2025. Baroness Grey-Thompson, who heads the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, expressed her enthusiasm to PA quality bureau astir "looking forward" to "working with (Mr Francis) and colleagues going guardant to amended accessibility for disabled people".