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Air Canada announced an expanded mobility aid policy Friday that will allow customers to bring up to three mobility aids free of charge.
Canada’s largest airline said the move is to allow greater flexibility to customers who use mobility aids or travel with adaptive sports equipment.
“Having this policy clearly defined means people with disabilities can travel, without having to explain or justify our needs,” said Meghan Hines, chair of Air Canada’s accessibility advisory committee, in a statement Friday.
“As both a traveller with a disability and a Para athlete, it is meaningful to see Air Canada recognize that the equipment we travel with … are extensions of our bodies, not an extra piece of luggage.”
Air Canada said eligible items can include any combination of personal mobility aids, adaptive sports equipment, personal or patient lifts and similar transfer devices.
A new CBC Marketplace investigation has found that some passengers with disabilities are still struggling with assistance on Air Canada flights, despite the airline’s promises to improve staffing, equipment and boarding procedures.
If a device is too large to travel on the same aircraft as the customer, Air Canada said cargo will transport it within Canada, free of charge.
“This policy recognizes that accessibility needs do not look the same for everyone and that people with disabilities should be able to travel with the equipment they need without added uncertainty or having to advocate for an exception,” Hines said.
Rachael Pinnock, chief commercial and impact officer with the Canadian Paralympic Committee, welcomed the move Friday.
“This new policy will make a significant difference in making travel easier and more affordable for athletes at all levels of sport, from recreation to high-performance,” Pinnock said in a statement.
“This is a testament to Air Canada’s commitment to listening and learning from the experiences and perspectives of the Para sport community.”
Last week, Canada’s transport regulator ordered WestJet to scrap its 136-kilogram weight cap on mobility aids before July 2027.
In a recent decision, the Canadian Transportation Agency said the country’s second-largest carrier was imposing an “undue barrier” on travellers living with a disability by effectively barring some power wheelchairs from its planes.
The regulator said WestJet should use “spreader plates” to better distribute the wheelchairs’ weight in the cargo hold and arrange alternative travel with other airlines until then.
