South African Airlink & South African Express: Policy on People with Disabilities

CHILDREN, YOUTH AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITY JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE
23 June 2006
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRLINK & SOUTH AFRICAN EXPRESS: POLICY ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Chairperson:  Ms W Newhoudt-Druchen (ANC)

Documents handed out:
SA Airlink Manual on Unaccompanied Minors
Draft Parliamentary Policy on Facilities for Members with Disabilities
SA Airlink Manual on Blind Passengers
SA Airlink Medical Indemnity Form

SUMMARY
SA Airlink and SA Express made presentations highlighting the safety measures that they had for persons with disabilities, children and youth. During the ensuing discussion members of the committee relayed their experiences at the various airports and expressed feelings of being prejudiced against. They mentioned that it was usually the Captains who had expressed disquiet if assistants did not accompany disabled people.

Questions addressed the training and capacity of aircraft staff to deal with people with disabilities, some of the policies that were applied, particularly in regard to passengers being accompanied, and a number of members detailed problems that they had experienced at airports.

MINUTES
Presentation by SA Airlink
Mr Dave Vermaak, (Cape Town Regional Manager, Airlink) presented the company’s policy for Children, Youth and Disabled Persons. He stated that all requests for the conveyance of blind passengers should be directed to the SA Airlink Control Office. A blind passenger accompanied by a guide dog should be allocated seat 2C, and 2B should be blocked off for the guide dog.

When the reservation had been accepted the SA Airlink Control Office would notify the Safety Officer. Guide dogs would be regarded as unchecked baggage. Mr Vermaak talked about giving directions and guidance to blind passengers not accompanied by guide dogs, dealing with doorways, narrow openings, crowded or dangerous places and the guiding of two or more blind persons.

Special handling instructions applied to the carriage of children under the age of 12 years and at the request of the parent/guardian, to young passengers of between 12 years and 16 years old who were not accompanied. Children under the 5 years of age would not be accepted for travel unless accompanied by an escort.

Presentation by SA Express
Mr Inati Ntshanga, (Acting Chief Executive Officer, S A Express) made a presentation to the Committee on their safety measures for persons with disabilities, children and youth. He stated that they had a fleet size of 13 aircraft, a gauge size of 50 seats and that SAA wet leased 3 other aircraft. He commented that the airlines had manuals on passenger procedures, which set out how to assist visually impaired passengers, guide dogs, security, dealing with obstacles such as doorways and narrow spaces, and assisting passengers in washrooms. Guidelines were also tabled on hearing-impaired passenger assistance, minors and general procedures in ticketing and checking in.

Discussion
Ms T Tobias (ANC) asked Mr Ntshanga why “youth” were regarded as those of 13 years old, since the term had been used in South Africa to include those up to the age of 35. She asked what had been the outcome in Malawi of the action involving the civil aviation authority.

Mr Ntshanga stated that he could not answer the question, as S A Airlink had not been involved in the Malawi issue.

Ms E Ngaleka (ANC) asked when the companies had realised that there was an increase in the number of passengers with special needs.

Mr D Gamede (ANC) asked what training was given to aircraft staff on handling of special needs, and whether flight attendants would be able to cope if a majority of passengers were disabled.

Mr B Mkongi (ANC) asked if aircraft staff would be able to handle a plane that was filled completely with disabled people, for instance a group of paralympic sportspeople.

Mr J Makweni (ANC) commented that there was a need to emphasize the training of attendants.

A number of committee members raised problems that they personally had experienced at airports.

Mr Ntshanga replied that the medical companies had provided the training, as they had been the ones carrying the disabled persons. He apologised for any inconveniences that had been caused to members at the airports. Had the matters been raised at the time they would have been dealt with immediately. He stated that it was possible that there had been a misunderstanding with the Captain involved at the time.

In answer to a question raised on a number of children going on holiday, he stated that there would be one assistant for every five children.

Mr Mkongi asked the logic of putting children next to females, and asked if there had been problems with male passengers.

Mr Mkongi also addressed the question of employment equity, and asked how many people with disabilities were employed, and the jobs they undertook, as he understood that some had been employed merely to check security cameras. This question was not answered specifically.

Mr M Moss (ANC) asked what routes the companies had been using, and whether it was compulsory for a disabled person to have an assistant, who must be paid, resulting in extra costs for the disabled person.

The chairperson asked who determined whether a person in a wheelchair needed an assistant.

A member commented that South African airlines should benchmark themselves against international airlines. He had found it easier to travel unassisted overseas because all the facilities had been available.

Mr Ntshanga responded in general to a number of these questions to the effect that SA Express was a service provider governed by regulations and they too needed clarity on some of the issues raised. S A Express were bound to apply these rules and regulations or they would lose their license. For instance, he did not believe there was any logic in saying children should be seated next to females, that if this caused offence then it should be changed, but this was a practice used by the airlines in the past.

The Chairperson stated that the Committee would like to receive a presentation from the Aviation Authority.

The meeting adjourned.