There has been a slow movement to address the needs of passengers with reduced mobility in the sky – a slow one at that. OEM’s have finally been turning their eye to the issue, this time with Collin Aerospace preparing to show off its solution for wheelchair devices.
The company is set to reveal its solution, which will help passengers with reduced mobility.
The Collins product is compatible with most WC19 and ISO 7176-19 transport-certified powered wheelchair devices, allowing passengers an inflight experience more equivalent to that of able-bodied passengers.
Implementation involves the installation of a restraint system at the front of a narrow-body aircraft to accommodate a wheelchair user. Restraining the wheelchair in place is simple and can easily be carried out by on-board crews without requiring assistance from maintenance staff.
This will enable both Boarding and deplaning to be simplified, not only reducing the risk of personal injury and discomfort associated with transporting individuals in and out of their wheelchairs but also greatly reducing instances of mishandled wheelchairs during the check-in, handling and stowage processes.
In recent tests at the National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR) the boarding process with the Collins solution was shown to be akin to the average ground transportation experience – harmonizing the air travel experience with the typical accommodations found in other modes of transportation.
Installation of the Collins solution involves an integrated restraint system and seat belt attachments securing both wheelchair and passenger. The restraint system is stowed when not in use. The Collins solution utilizes unused space and does not require seat removal or modification, maintaining a consistent experience for all passengers and allowing airlines to operate with existing densities.
Collins Aerospace will be demonstrating this at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.
In Quotes
Cynthia Muklevicz, vice president of customer and business development for Collins Aerospace.
“Enabling motorized wheelchair users to remain in their chair is imperative to providing a more equitable and dignified air travel experience to the millions of people who rely on personal mobility devices in their everyday lives,”
“Innovating solutions that enhance the inflight and cabin experience is fundamental to the mission of Collins. We’re confident this certifiable solution will help eliminate barriers, opening greater possibilities to a wider population to more conveniently experience the excitement and necessity of air travel.”
A big step forward for PRM
We’ve seen concepts and ideas, with a good demonstration last year in which I hailed the product as one of the most important demonstrations of Aircraft Interiors Expo.
It is welcoming to see that as PRM requirements grow, OEMs are coming up with additional solutions to enable them to market to airlines, and thus to this subset of passengers.
In the past, we’ve seen too many broken powered wheelchairs – which impeeds the user both in terms of access to being mobile on arrival, as well as the cost of repairing/replacing the device.
And I am all for opening up the cabin for passengers of all needs
Economy Class and Beyond will be on the ground in Hamburg next week – we’ll be looking forward to the demonstration.
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