[ 2015-11-29 ]

Domestic airlines to make aircrafts disability friendly by end of year

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority will by end of
the year publish a directive to make domestic air
travel accessible to the disabled.


The directive will, among other things, demand
that within a year, all local airlines purchase
larger aircrafts with flexible seats to cater for
the physically challenged.



The Ghana society of the physically challenged
last year sued three domestic airlines and the
Ghana Civil Aviation Authority for refusing to
sell flight tickets to persons with disabilities.



The society pleaded with the human rights division
of the high court to ensure that respondents
comply with section 28 (1) of the persons with
disability act 2006, act 715.



The concerned parties subsequently proceeded to
the negotiation table which has produced a
revision of the GCAA safety regulations LI 2000.



One of the persons who sued the three airlines
told TV3 in an interview that “considering
the constraints within the local aviation
industry, it has to always be a win-win situation.
We haven’t gotten all that we want but they
have put in good effort.



“We appreciate it and on the basis of that
we want to go back to court to tell the court that
we want to end the litigation and give them a
chance.”



The draft directives will among other things
ensure that all travel procedures from the airport
till arrival are adapted to the needs of persons
with disabilities.



Enforcement of the directives will begin a month
after it is gazetted. However, aircraft that need
reconfiguration have one year to do so.



The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority on its part
said “the Cape Town convention has been
submitted to parliament for ratification. Once the
convention is passed, it means the when the
airlines go to the market they can now get the
aircraft at better terms of financing. It’s
going to reduce their cost astronomically”



The Cape Town convention came into full force in
2006 but the parliamentary select committee on
transport is yet to ratify it with the passing of
the civil aviation law.



The treaty will facilitate asset-based financing
and leasing of aviation equipment, and reduce cost
for local airlines to acquire larger aircraft.

Source - TV3

... go Back