On Saturday 3 December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Italian Agency for Civil Aviation (ENAC), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and airlines ITA Airways, Air Dolomiti and Neos launched the «One Click Away» project.
The main joint objective is to simplify the reservation process of special assistance for disabled and persons with reduced mobility, both at airports and on board. In addition, the agencies and airlines will work to improve accessibility to such services and awareness of passengers’ rights.
In a press release, the Italian authority in charge of regulating civil aviation in the country stressed that «for the first time, a network made up of institutions, national airlines and industry associations has been created, with the common goal of breaking down barriers and making air transport easy and fully accessible to all passengers, without exception».
Participants already offer optimised, intuitive tours specifically dedicated to assisting passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility on their digital customer service channels. This allows direct and simplified access to information on booking travel with this type of additional assistance.
Customers can now access «uniform and clear content, characterised by the same layout and order of topics covered» on the official websites of the initiative’s member organisations and companies. To this end, they have all incorporated a wheelchair icon on their homepages.
Improved accessibility and streamlined procedures
«Participating in One Click Away, in addition to the intrinsic value of the project, allows us to pursue an important objective of ours: that of guaranteeing equal access to air transport for all and, at the same time, personalising the service according to the needs of each individual», emphasised Fabio Maria Lazzerini, CEO of ITA Airways.
Alberto Casamatti, COO of Air Dolomiti, said: «I think this is a good example of synergy and I hope the project will become a good practice for airlines all over Europe».
Carlo Stradiotti, CEO of Neos, commented: «One Click Away is a protection tool that makes it possible to standardise responses, simplify procedures and provide a clear and detailed picture of the services made available to passengers».
According to Pierluigi Di Palma, president of ENAC, the project «is part of a broader strategy aimed at simplifying the flying experience for passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility». He remarked: «Being able to fly and move around in a globalised way, in line with our mission, should be a right for all.
«IATA welcomes and supports this initiative in Italy and hopes that this project will become standard practice in the industry», concluded Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe.
See also: Europe: airlines insist on air navigation services to be assessed by independent auditors
