Aviation: Disability
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will issue guidelines to airlines on the treatment of passengers with neurological disabilities, including standardised procedures for fitness-to-fly assessments.
Answered by Keir Mather
Aviation must be accessible to all, and everyone has the right to travel with dignity and ease. UK law prohibits refusal of carriage by air based on any disability, impairment, or condition, except where restrictions are required due to safety reasons.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published guidance on airline accessibility including on assisting people with hidden disabilities. In addition, it issued its Airline Accessibility Guidance in 2024, which will be used to assess airline performance against accessibility requirements. This states that decisions on requiring medical clearance must be made on a case-by-case basis, and only where there is a valid reason for doing so.
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