by Alain Le-Cointe
Aeroports de Paris
Translation of a paper given at the EBU Mobility and Transport Conference held in Paris on 14-15 October 2002
I. The role of the Paris Airports
For the service of passengers and of Civil Aviation professionals the Paris Airports have as their mission the design, the creation and the control of the infrastructures and the services for the development of air transport in the Paris region.
The ease of access to the terminal of an Airport are therefore a determining condition in the chain of services for the air passenger.
The approach to the question of access has for too long been confined to the sole consideration of the physical handicap itself, whereas it is all the more important to consider the handicapped persons as such. The notion of access has been broadened to take into account the various different types of disability.
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II. The partners of the Paris Airports
Many contribute to the overall quality of the service to the air passenger for the whole length of such air passenger's progress in the Airport Terminals :
First, the airlines responsible for assisting such person at the Check In Desk before departure up to the collection of luggage on arrival.
Secondly, those providing assistance to persons with a reduced mobility (PRMs) working for those airlines.
Thirdly, those providing help at the security gates to guarantee passengers' safety.
Fourthly, the officers of the air police responsible for frontier control.
Fifthly, the customs officers on duty at the point of arrival.
The ground staff, both on arrival and departure, play an important role in the perception of the proper accessibility to an airport.
The quality of the service perceived by the air passenger depends in large measure on the co-ordination of the different participants contributing to the effective realisation of air travel. In this context Airports have a unifying role. That is the reason for which the plan of action for providing better help for the needs of PRMs has now been launched.
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III. The policy of Paris Airports for the benefit of PRMs clients
Starting with their expectations, involves the service to be offered and put in operation not only by Paris Airports alone but on the contrary involving the co-operation and assistance of the various partners.
The difficulty of the task springs from the heterogeneous nature of the chain of different persons contributing help from one moment to another on the journey and the necessity of co-ordinating the efforts of all these partners for the best service to PRMs.
The steps taken by the Paris Airports for such passengers is laid down in the framework of the global policy for the quality of service with four types of action we identified :
- Accessibility
- Process
- Thoughtful consideration
- Information required
Some examples of the actions undertaken by Paris Airports will illustrate the subject :
1. Accessibility
The putting in operation of the test site in relation to the undertaking at Charles de Gaulle 2-C
From 15th April 2002 the entire journey, in particular regarding a visually impaired person is determined at the point of departure in the public area at the Check In Desk. It starts from the moment of arrival providing a special waiting place in the public area before moving to the Departure Lounge.
The outcome of an internal project at Paris Airports with a view to improving the conditions of access and of the journey for PRMs in Terminals 2 and 3 at Charles de Gaulle is at present the object of an evaluation with our partners to determine which are the aspects needing to be implemented.
The putting into operation of a setting down point for PRMs as a test at Orly South
involving the creation of two such places opposite Door B in the public complex of Orly South which would be complemented by a covered waiting area with the necessary means provided for getting in direct touch with the officials providing assistance.
The difficulty has been to reconcile the imperatives of public security with those of security required to be given for the arrival area for PRMs so as to be identical with those provided for the other passengers at Orly South Terminal.
The provision of a design guide at the Information Desk
following consultation with the representatives of associations for PRMs and with partners having developed their own concept (SNCF French Railways) and other airports.
The objective is to offer, with the provision of any necessary equipment, a service welcoming disabled people whose conditions of comfort and help are comparable to those of other passengers.
The Development of a Charter
This would envisage the accessibility by an automated system of transport at the Paris Airports which it is desired should occasion the complete replacement of the transport system at Charles de Gaulle Airport by taking into account representations by the associations for PRMs who will thus contribute to the proration of such s Charter for the future automated transport system.
A committee for accessibility by an automated transport system has been constituted, including designers as well as future clients, for the preparation of a procedure manual regarding means of access and proper signage in a clearly contrasted well-lit environment.
There has also been constituted a working group for PRMs
closely allied to the steering committees at the airports responsible for the general plan for urban travel in the iIle de France region, especially for the proper implementation of the law regarding air travel and the rational use of available resources. This authority brings together the owners, the finance companies and the transport organizations, as well as the associations and the representatives concerned with economic conditions. The Airports of Roissy and Orly and the train stations of the TGV constitute the most important centres of traffic for which the Chief Executive responsible for the Ile de France has recommended the creation of specific development committees charged with the study of :
(1) Accessibility to the various centres by different modes of transport
(2) The quality of service offered to customers
(3) The introduction of appropriate development in the region surrounding an airport
and to decide upon by the end of the year 2002 a plan for development envisaging the improvement of the functioning of appropriate exchange between the effective organizations to ensure high quality service offered to passengers in the region of Paris - in effect to formalise a development contract including all the different partners involved on each of the sites.
2. Process
The electric "non-magnetic" wheelchair developed from an idea put forward by the technical service of the aeronautic departments which will enable the wheelchair to pass the various inspection posts easily in the same conditions of comfort and of helpfulness as those offered to other passengers. These chairs have been placed at the disposal of the providers of assistance for PRMs both at Orly and at Roissy - Charles de Gaulle for evaluation of the final result achieved in 2002.
3. Thoughtful consideration
The Paris Airports include in their various stages of internal training designed for staff in contact with the public methods of true sensitivity for the welcome and appropriate consideration to respond in a manner equal to that available for all members of the public. The beneficiaries of this plan enjoy the different services involved and, in particular, the Information Desks, the agencies connected with the Airport Terminal and the senior officials responsible to the Chief Executives of such Terminal.
4. Information required
The Paris Airports have begun an enquiry in depth into the provision of information and the manner of communication (including the use of a website) at all the Paris
Airports replacing the existing information guides.
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IV. New Objectives for 2003
A continuation of the plan of action
The projects realised or in course of being put in hand since 2002 on the test sites are going to permit us to draw the necessary conclusions required for the extension of action to integrate the modifications proper for the improvement of the accessibility of the installations at the Paris Airports. In this context the result of the experience of our partners regarding the use of equipment and/or the infrastructures already put in place is essential whether it concerns the airlines, the representatives of the public authorities, the associations, the providers of assistance and the passengers.
In particular this is the case in the fields of :
1. Accessibility
- Journey of PRMs
Requiring adaptation of the other Terminals at Orly and Roissy following the results obtained from the experiments undertaken at Charles de Gaulle 2-C.
- New Check In Area at Orly West
Adaptation of the Check In Area for PRMs at Orly in conjunction with the airlines and the providers of assistance for PRMs.
- Organization of a transport system specially adapted
following the conditions already begun on this subject with the associations, the STIF (Syndicat des Transports d'Ile-de-France) and the Prefectures, in order to improve the servicing of the Airport platforms for passengers suffering from severe handicaps.
2. Process
- The enlarged partnership as defined above includes making the best use of the areas for the benefit of PRMs and the launching of working groups comprising the airlines, the Paris Airports and other common means of transport under the general heading of co-operation, including the creation and best use of Reception Areas for PRMs, both inside and outside the Terminal buildings.
- The coordination of the procedures, that is to say, those adopted by all the partners with a view to facilitating the journeys of PRMs beginning on the Airport platforms (but including the stages of their journeys by rail as well as by air).
3. Thoughtful consideration
- The pursuit of all appropriate training in conjunction with the other associations and the training service of Paris Airports to develop the most appropriate forms of training for dealing with other professional bodies involved with the Paris Airports with a view to true sensitivity in their daily work for taking into account the particular handicaps of PRMs.
4. Information required
- Guide books for PRMs
Update incorporating a better adaptation to PRMs' needs to be implemented as from 2002. New editions available for 2003.
- Website of Paris Airports
Definition of contents and needs in cooperation with the Communication Department of Paris Airports from the end of 2002 so that it can be put in place as a means of communication with those organizations benefiting PRMs. The achievement of this during 2003 will be also associated with communicating these measures to the general public so that they become aware of the availability of such website.
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V. Vademecum of passengers
Let us not overshadow the necessity for every passanger to prepare for his journey in advance. This is the best guarantee to make the most of a service of real quality. This proposition is even more important for people suffering from disability and therefore needing to have recourse to assistance before, during and after their journey :
- The handicapped passenger must take the initiative by informing the providers of such services of their particular needs. The voluntary disclosure of a disability is an essential element; it is thus that such passengers themselves identify their needs to ensure that the appropriate services are made available when these are required during the journey. These are clearly the most useful ways for them to take advantage of the services which are required.
- Handicapped passengers may take steps to obtain assistance at the following stages :
- At the Check In Desk to lead to their passing into the Departure Lounge
- To get on board the aircraft and later to disembark from it
- To take charge of and to recover their luggage
- To go from their seat to the toilet facilities on the aircraft
- To move easily into the arrival lounge on disembarkation
- To connect up with any other air service which they may require
- The putting in place of these services necessitates informing the airline at least 4 hours in advance. If this time limit is observed the airline's staff will make all reasonable efforts to respond to the passenger's particular needs.
- Parking spaces specially reserved are envisaged in all the airport carparks to be accessed in the various terminals by persons entitled to the invalidity card GIC/GIG or to the appropriate European badge for parking.
- At the airports maps and information leaflets are available and can be obtained on request from the airport service or from the airline. There is always an Information Desk which similarly may respond to any requests or indicate the body providing transport.
- Security controls are ensured by personnel departments to recognise the needs of PRMs and to respond to them. Different methods of control are sometimes necessary just as they are to all passengers.
- In the event of the PRMs not having made known his need for assistance he cannot take advantage of his handicap to embark in priority to other passengers.
- Such special aid available for embarkation is also available for disembarkation.
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