Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has identified outdated infrastructure at the country’s airports as a major root course of challenges faced by passengers with disability during air travel.
NAC’s Chief Executive Officer Bisey /Uirab said the infrastructure dates back to over 30 years since independence and highlighted the efforts being made to improve the accessibility of facilities for individuals with disability.
However, he acknowledged that there is still much work to be done in smaller airports, where full readiness for accommodating such passengers has not yet been achieved.
“We are doing our best to provide facilities for people with disabilities in all fairness, but in some of our smaller airports, we may not be fully prepared as we would like to be. Our recent developments show that we are consciously trying to make our facilities as comfortable as possible for people with disabilities to use,” /Uirab stated.
The NAC CEO delivered these remarks during the Namibian Symposium on Air Travel Disability Inclusion hosted by FlyNamibia on Thursday.
While progress is being made, Uirab admitted that challenges remain, especially in terms of training staff to effectively assist passengers with disabilities.
“Our biggest challenge now is to get our people trained so that they know exactly how to deal with customers with disabilities, how to communicate, and how to be pragmatic in our approach,” he said.
Uirab emphasised the need for a non-discriminatory approach and awareness of industry norms to provide better services to passengers with disability.
Deputy Minister of Disability Affairs, Alexia Manombe-Ncube, also shared her own travel experiences and recommendations for improving the air travel experience for people with disability.
She stressed the importance of airlines and aviation authorities implementing separate forms for individuals with medical conditions and those with disability, to better address their specific needs during air travel.
“Labeling of mobility scooters with airline-approved dimensions and proper training for airline staff and agents to recognise and handle special needs are crucial steps,” she suggested.
Manombe-Ncube further highlighted the importance of ensuring the functionality of Passenger Aid Unit (PAU) systems, as their malfunctioning can leave passengers stranded.
Fly Namibia, CEO Andre Compion, said the company partnered with sister company Signa, an accredited training center of excellence, to offer comprehensive courses in dealing with passengers with disability.
Compion emphasised that attendance in these courses would be compulsory for all personnel involved in handling such passengers.
“FlyNamibia’s aim is to collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure that we set a new standard as the Namibian aviation industry in the treatment of persons with disability at our airports and on our flights. Every person living with a disability has the right to being treated equally to any able-bodied person,” he said.
The speakers shed light on the progress made to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in Namibian airports.
However, they echoed the sentiments that there is an urgent need for further improvements in infrastructure and training to ensure an effortless and enjoyable travel experience for all passengers, regardless of their abilities.
With ongoing efforts and collaboration among stakeholders, Namibia’s aviation industry aims to achieve equality and inclusivity for all travellers.
