Air travel remains stressful and often undignified for passengers with physical and mental disabilities, with barriers persisting at every stage of the journey, research from Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) found, the university said on July 1.
The study points to a growing gap between accessibility regulation and passenger experience as European accessibility law enters its second year, with nearly one in four EU adults, some 90mn people, living with a disability, making inclusive air travel a mainstream requirement rather than a niche concern.
The research, published in Research in Transportation Business & Management, covered passengers with a wide range of disabilities, including wheelchair users, people with visual or hearing impairments, and those with hidden conditions such as autism or anxiety. Researchers examined each touchpoint from online booking to baggage claim.
With passenger numbers expected to grow over the coming decade, the industry risks scaling a system that excludes a substantial share of the population, the study warned.
The research introduced two concepts: the cumulative effect of barriers and standardised flexibility. While physical barriers remain widespread, the study highlighted how individually minor failures combine into a damaging pattern. A missing detail at booking, staff who fail to pass on disability-related information at check-in, or a wheelchair damaged in the hold are not catastrophic alone, but together erode passengers’ dignity and trust.
“Many regulations and standards exist, yet the struggles remain,” said Simone Moretti, senior researcher in tourism impacts on society at BUas.
Moretti said the sector had good intentions, but that consistent, dignified service required more than compliance and demanded a genuine understanding of what these passengers experienced.
The researchers called on the industry to involve passengers with disabilities directly in designing new services and infrastructure, arguing that only genuine co-creation could deliver systemic change. Aviation did not have to choose between uniform safety standards and individual adaptability, they said, with improvements able to remain consistent across airports while still tailored to each passenger.
BUas is working with European university partners on INCLAVI, an EU Erasmus+-funded project developing the education needed to make air travel more inclusive. The university and its partners have developed a free training course for aviation professionals.
Inclusive Aviation (INCLAVI)
The Inclusive Aviation project (INCLAVI) is managed by a consortium comprising eight members: Haaga-Helia UAS, Stichting Breda UAS, Ozyegin Universitesi, Careeria Oy, IATA España SL, European Network for Accessible Tourism ASBL, Iga Havalimani Isletmesi Anonim Sirketi and Yasar Universitesi.
Why it matters for the trade
Accessibility is moving from compliance obligation to commercial imperative, with 90mn potential EU travellers at stake and passenger volumes set to rise. For the trade, the study’s finding that the problem lies in accumulated small failures rather than single infrastructure gaps points to where operators, airlines and airports can differentiate: consistent, joined-up service and staff training, backed by direct input from disabled travellers themselves.