Transportation and storage of wheelchairs and other mobility aids

The CTA created an International Working Group (IWG) to develop recommendations for future action related to issues around the safe storage and transportation of wheelchairs and other mobility aids and hosted an international forum in June 2018. IWG members included airlines and their trade associations, aircraft manufacturers, mobility aid manufacturers, disability rights organizations, regulators, ground handlers and other interested stakeholders.

The forum served as a catalyst for follow up dialogue and innovation, resulting in a Mobility Aids and Air Travel Report containing short, medium, and long term recommendations related to the transportation and safe storage of wheelchairs and other mobility aids on aircraft.

Building on this, the CTA, together with Transport Canada and the National Research Council, has recently undertaken in-depth research and analysis of the securement and containment of wheelchairs and other mobility aids in aircraft cargo compartments with the goal of reducing the number of mobility aids damaged during transport.

The outcome of this initiative will include performance guidelines and best practices for securement or containment of wheelchairs and other mobility aids in the cargo compartment. This work is expected to be completed in 2021.