Air 4 All

Air 4 All on its way

Flying Disabled has been campaigning doggedly for a degree of accessibility that would enable permanent wheelchair users to travel by plane in their own chair.

Currently, a flight will involve transferring from chair to aeroplane seat, often involving discomfort and lack of dignity. The traveller’s own chair will be consigned to the hold, where it may well be damaged or even end up at a different destination altogether.

Air 4 All is an ingenious aeroplane seating system that will allow powered wheelchair users to remain in their chair for the entire journey.
 

Wide collaboration to develop workable solution

Developed by design agency PriestmanGoode in a consortium with campaign group Flying Disabled and aircraft safety company SWS Certification, the concept is designed for commercial flights and is currently being developed into a prototype, which should be unveiled shortly.

Carriers have in the past been reluctant to consider accommodating passengers in their powerchairs because any space allocated in this way was no longer available to provide seating for nondisabled travellers.

The elegance of the Air 4 All solution is that the wheelchair space is available when required, but otherwise remains a standard seat. It looks just like the other seats on the plane, but the bottom flips up when required to make room for a wheelchair, with a guide track to help position the chair and an attachment system that fixes it securely in place.

The first prototype is for narrowbodied planes with two rows of two seats. The front row will be adapted, providing two wheelchair spaces per flight.
 

Still work to be done

The consortium has a patented installation and attachment system which has to be fitted to both the seat and the wheelchair, in order for Air 4 All to work.

Another partner on the project, wheelchair manufacturer Sunrise Medical, will undertake the task of creating powered wheelchairs that are fit to fly, as well as retrofitting old models.
 

Flying Disabled optimistic about Air 4 All

Flying Disabled founder Chris Wood has been campaigning for accessibility in aviation since 2015 and said the consortium was “actively working with all the necessary parties” to ensure its solution was harmonised and fit for purpose.

“Air 4 All is the first system that has been developed jointly by a design agency, a certification body and with input from the disabled community.

“With a leading global wheelchair manufacturer as well as the subsidiary of a major airline on board to develop the product, it’s a truly collaborative project.”

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Further reading and resources

You can read more about Air 4 All And the development of the prototype on PriestmanGoode’s website (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)

We have Chris Wood’s account of air travel with his disabled children and his vision of a more accessible future, here

Until Air 4 All becomes a reality, ProMove is a more dignified alternative for essential transfers

Free virtual flying lessons for disabled people

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