Global Forum on Wheelchair Accessible Air Travel & Mark Your Calendars
Global Forum on Wheelchair Accessible Air Travel & Mark Your Calendars
The All Wheels Up summit attracted more than 150 people from the aviation industry, government and disability advocates.
Two weeks ago, All Wheels Up hosted its fourth annual Global Forum on Wheelchair Accessible Air Travel, which brought together 150+ representatives from airlines, airplane manufacturers, interior design firms, disability organizations and the federal government. There was even a Wheelchair Travel reader in attendance!
The Forum is a critical event that fosters innovation and welcomes challenging conversations among members of industry and the community at large. During the event, I had many sidebar chats which allowed me to gain key insights from industry leaders, airline disability managers, and other advocates from within the community.
It was wonderful to reconnect with Roberto Castiglioni MBE and Joshua Wintersgill, who are leading the charge with the #RightsOnFlights campaign across the pond. If you didn’t catch it last week, be sure to read my reaction to the Rights on Flights reception held last month at the House of Commons in London.
The All Wheels Up event left me encouraged by the innovative solutions presented and discussed by industry leaders like Delta Flight Products, Collins Aerospace, Molon Labe Designs and others. I was also thrilled to receive updates from engineering students at the University of Michigan and Virginia Tech, who are working to contribute to the research around wheelchair spaces for airplanes.
To learn more about my trip to the nation’s capital, read my Recap of the All Wheels Up Global Forum on Wheelchair Accessible Air Travel. It’s worth your time!
The recap includes a video recorded by DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg for the event, as well as my reflection on remarks delivered by U.S. Senator and wheelchair user Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. It was a pleasure to hear about her work on in Congress to make air travel more accessible!
Register for the next Accessible Travel Chat!
Following the incredible event in Washington, D.C., I asked All Wheels Up President Michele Erwin and Vice President Alan Chaulet to join me for an Accessible Travel Chat later this week.
This Friday, October 13 at 11 a.m. ET (New York time), we’ll discuss the important work All Wheels Up has been doing, the organization’s 2023 event and the path forward for getting a wheelchair space on airplanes.
To attend the live virtual event, which will include an opportunity for Q&A, please complete the Accessible Travel Chat registration form. After registering, you’ll receive an email with a link to connect via Zoom.
Paid subscribers to the WheelchairTravel.org newsletter make it possible for me to attend events like the All Wheels Up Global Forum, and to host Accessible Travel Chats like this one. If you’d like to support my work to make travel more accessible, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. Your membership can make a huge difference by ensuring that my voice (and yours) is heard by decision makers in the airline industry and elsewhere.
Hi John - just wondering if you or someone you know will be at the Accessibility Day at the Dubai Airshow on Friday, November 17th? The airshow is on for several days, however the 17th is the day focused on Accessibility. I am going to attend )w as I will be in the city on vacation from where I live in western Canada. We are taking the new non stop flight from YVR to DXB which is pretty exciting! No transfers in Asia! Thanks for always keeping us up to date on what is going on in the industry...