This is a European vestige. The 1988 Aircarriers Act (US) prohibits PWDs
from exit row seats but, in return, requires that airlines have other
aisle seats with liftable arms, carry wheelchairs in closets, etc.
If a US airline books a PWD a seat on a nonUS airline as part of a flight
originating in the US, the non US airline must comply with the Air
Carriers Act. United Airlines just had to pay a large fine because it
failed to ensure that a PWD making a Frankfort connection as part of a
trip booked with United was treated by the connecting flight under US
rules.
As EUropean carriers with US airline partnerships must comply with US
civil rights rules (as I just described), the JAR-OPS rules you cite
obviously are defeasible. As always, however, the question is, how to
enforce them.
On Thu, 28 Jan 1999, Susanne Berg wrote:
> Just before XMas i flew from southern Sweden to my home in Stockholm. While
> boarding (I use a wheel chair and need assitans to the seat) I was told I
> would not be allowed to sit on the seat by the aisle. The plane had seating
> rules for persons with "reduced mobility", so we should not sit "in the way"
> so to speak of the others in case of an emergency. The situation got what
> could be described as nasty as I felt expendable and discriminated and
> naturally blew my top. Now I have received an answer from the company
> citing some European guide lines called JAR-OPS.
>
> JAR-OPS 1.260 Carriage of Persons with Reduced Mobility
> a) An operator shall establish procedures for the carriage of Persons witj
> reduced Mobility (PRMs).
> b) An operator shall ensure that PRMs are not allocated, nor occupy, seats
> where their presence could:
> 1) Impede the crew in their duties;
> 2) Obstruct access to emergency equipment; or
> 3) Impede the emergency evacuation of the aeroplane.
>
>
>
> If someone knows the true value of these guidelines, i.e. how mandatory are
> they and what interpretations are made in practical situations, I would be
> real happy to get that knowledge.
>
> I also would like to know if this is a purely European invention and what
> guidelines exist on other continents (especially under the Air Carrier Act
> in US or any other anti-discrimination acts).
>
> Thanx in advance
>
> Susanne
>
> PS On the issue of language: The answer contained the wording wheel chair
> bound of course. There was also a copy of an "operational information"
> which is to prevent injuries to staff helping to board. An aisle seating is
> fully acceptable if MIPs (Movement Inhibited Persons) is able to move along
> the floor
>
> "in order to be able to move in this sentence, it is sufficient if the MIP
> can crawl* at floor level.#
>
> *`(in Swedish; krypa..."
>
> 1. How does MIP sound as a new label?
>
> 2. Han, the Swedish word '"krypa" is derived from a very similar old
> Anglo-Saxon word - as is the noun "cripple". Would you still consider it OK
> to be called that? :-)
>
> DS
>
>
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