Italy's Civil Aviation Authority Reports 93 Alleged Violations of 1107/2006
- Written by Roberto Castiglioni
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) reports 93 complaints for alleged violations of EU1107/2006 since it came into force in July 2008.
Italian law gives ENAC powers to enforce 1107/2006 by issuing hefty penalties. Carriers denying boarding to disabled passengers face fines of up to Euro 120,000 (GBP 100,000/USD152,000).
In 2010, Italian airports provided assistance to passengers with reduced mobility and other disabilities 11,837 times; 7,731 times assistance was pre-booked, 4,106 times assistance was requested upon the passenger's arrival at the airport.
"Only a limited number of passengers with reduced mobility (PRM) call customer service to make the advance booking," a spokesperson for ENAC says.
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority pinpoints lack of pre-booking as the determining factor in the vast majority of complaints.
"With respect to the total number of complaints received, the number one problem is restrictions on the number of passengers with reduced mobility accepted on board the aircraft and air carriers’ requests for PRMs to be accompanied by a carer." However, the vast majority of airports and airlines abide to the Regulation ENAC says.
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority regularly checks operators to ensure compliance to the regulation. ENAC assessment activities focus on checking airports and airlines staff training, airports’ management training, and verify accessibility and accuracy of information related to services for disabled passengers that airline, travel agencies and airlines management release.
