Sarah McOnie, director of Airchair, Reflects on Issues Raised in BBC Rip Off Britain (25th April 2025, BBC1) and the Changing World of Accessible Air Travel
With the demand for air travel estimated to increase by over 4% each year in the next 20 years*, the airline industry is gearing up capacity and investing in new planes and new interior designs, to meet passenger expectation. This includes new thinking on accessible travel. The conversation has already started with some of the leading charities and campaign groups making their concerns heard in the discussion about the future of air travel.
Air travel and the experience for disabled passengers or those with reduced mobility, isn’t a topic that is often openly discussed, so we were particularly excited recently to be contacted by the BBC’s Rip Off Britain team who wanted one of our Airchairs for a programme they were making about accessibility for disabled people on airplanes. While our Airchair looked amazing under the studio lights, I was a bit disappointed with the programme that didn’t do much to advance the discussion around the key issues of accessible travel – issues that the airline industry is fully aware of.
Airchair appears on Rip Off Britain
Jet Gates of Rights On Flights pointed out that onboard wheelchairs are not mandated on all flights and that they should be, which I heartily agree with, but went on to make the point that onboard wheelchairs are actually inadequate for passengers who cannot self-transfer to their seat. In these circumstances, Jet said, it requires the passenger to be lifted by other people to and from the onboard wheelchair to their seat, which is often uncomfortable and humiliating for the passenger.
I do sympathise with what Jet is saying but would be interested to know the percentage of wheelchair users who are unable to self-transfer, because while assisted transfer is not ideal, is it the only practical solution available to a relatively small problem? We also need to be aware that some airlines can provide a hoist to assist in the transfer. On the whole though and from my experience, the onboard wheelchair provides a safe and practical solution for the majority of passengers that require it and at the moment, is really the only viable and practical solution.
As the programme went on to discuss, it is not currently possible for wheelchair users to take their personal wheelchair on board a commercial flight. Instead, at the door of the plane, they are transferred to an aircraft aisle wheelchair and assisted by the cabin crew to their assigned airline seat and then around the aircraft as needed during the journey.
Understandably, passengers who depend entirely on their wheelchair for their mobility, feel emotionally and physically connected to that wheelchair and moving from it and leaving it in the hands of others can be a traumatic and potentially negative experience.
But is it realistic for the airlines to set aside revenue generating seats and cabin space for personal wheelchairs? The discussion around the use of wheelchairs onboard a commercial aircraft is a complicated and emotive one. Safety issues are always going to be the key concern but it’s a hard fact that airlines can only exist by making a profit and post-covid there is plenty of evidence of just how narrow the margins are, with airlines disappearing as quickly as new airlines appear. What is critical for the airline is the number of paying passengers it can carry, with load fuel consumption being key factors in the calculation of commercial viability.
From the conversations I hear from our customers and others I meet, the airline industry is working hard to find a workable solution that will enable wheelchair users to board a plane and travel in their own wheelchair for the whole journey but it may take some time to find the answer. At Airchair, we recognise that, until there are significant changes, the aisle wheelchair will continue to play an integral part in the accessible air travel experience. We are committed to providing a comfortable, dignified and safe experience for all and are also committed to being at the heart of the conversation around the future of accessible air travel. We were present at the Red Cabin Summit in Atlanta in early June and will be at the upcoming summit in Dublin, listening to our airline and cabin design partners, working together to find the best solutions for all passengers.
by Sarah McOnie, Airchair
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