{"id":68108,"date":"2016-03-01T20:00:04","date_gmt":"2016-03-01T20:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=708db77ad822841d6216ad6007e0ffd6"},"modified":"2016-03-01T20:00:04","modified_gmt":"2016-03-01T20:00:04","slug":"speech-hidden-disabilities-and-air-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=68108","title":{"rendered":"Speech: Hidden disabilities and air travel"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Opening remarks<\/h2>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m delighted to join you tonight. <\/p>\n

And it\u2019s a real pleasure to be back here in the magnificent setting of the Grosvenor House Great Room once again. <\/p>\n

Not only one of the largest ballrooms in Europe. But also, one of the most historic. <\/p>\n

Over the decades, this room has served as:<\/p>\n

An ice rink, in fact it was here where Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, learned to skate at just 7 years of age.<\/p>\n

A mess for US<\/abbr> officers during World War II, when General Eisenhower and General Patton were frequent visitors.<\/p>\n

And, in the 1960s, the venue for a Beatles concert \u2013 and many leading title fights when this was known as the home of British boxing.<\/p>\n

This room has also become established in recent years as the home of the AOA<\/abbr> Annual Dinner. <\/p>\n

And a fitting backdrop for one of the best nights in the aviation calendar. <\/p>\n

So I\u2019m very grateful to Ed [Anderson \u2013 Chairman] and his team for inviting me this evening. <\/p>\n

6 years of change<\/h2>\n

I\u2019d like to start tonight by taking you back to the 2010 AOA<\/abbr> dinner.<\/p>\n

The guest speaker that year was Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates.<\/p>\n

Tim\u2019s opening words were:<\/p>\n

\n

Well, what a torrid, volatile, 18 months this has been.<\/p>\n

Multiple banking failures.<\/p>\n

Multiple airline failures.<\/p>\n

Multiple travel trade failures.<\/p>\n

And all in an election year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What a difference 6 years make.<\/p>\n

Britain today is in a completely different place.<\/p>\n

Record employment.<\/p>\n

A much reduced deficit.<\/p>\n

And a strong, growing economy.<\/p>\n

Governments like to take credit for big achievements like these.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m not going to change that tradition tonight.<\/p>\n

But we\u2019re only partly responsible.<\/p>\n

The people who are actually delivering growth.<\/p>\n

Creating jobs.<\/p>\n

And making the country more prosperous.<\/p>\n

Are you.<\/p>\n

Wherever you look across Britain, airports are preparing for the future.<\/p>\n

Building bigger terminals.<\/p>\n

Opening new markets for British business.<\/p>\n

Expanding into ventures like business parks.<\/p>\n

This is one of the most entrepreneurial sectors of our economy.<\/p>\n

Which is why UK<\/abbr> airlines have enjoyed sustained growth.<\/p>\n

Why passenger numbers at UK<\/abbr> airports have reached record levels.<\/p>\n

And why I believe this industry is going to flourish further over the next decade.<\/p>\n

Hidden disabilities<\/h2>\n

Great businesses flourish for all sorts of reasons.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s one advantage they all share.<\/p>\n

They understand their customers.<\/p>\n

One of the challenges for airports is the sheer diversity of the customer base.<\/p>\n

That means you have to be increasingly sensitive to passengers\u2019 different needs.<\/p>\n

Take people with a disability, for example.<\/p>\n

Airports do a good job of helping physically disabled passengers.<\/p>\n

But what about people whose disabilities are not immediately noticeable.<\/p>\n

Those with hidden disabilities?<\/p>\n

For dementia sufferers, air travel can be confusing, and even frightening.<\/p>\n

Crowded terminals. Security checks. And fear of flying itself.<\/p>\n

All these factors can deter people from travelling. <\/p>\n

According to CAA<\/abbr> research, as many as 7% of all people could be avoiding air travel because of a hidden disability.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a sobering statistic.<\/p>\n

And when the CAA<\/abbr> did a review of airports\u2019 and airlines\u2019 current arrangements, they found a wide variation in standards and practices.<\/p>\n

Some airports were described as \u2018significantly under-prepared\u2019 for this type of traveller.<\/p>\n

However, there were some impressive examples of good practice too.<\/p>\n

At Gatwick, for instance, more than 80% of front line staff have received Dementia Champions and Dementia Friends training.<\/p>\n

On top of this, the airport\u2019s introduced its own NVQ<\/abbr> Level 2 Certificate in dementia care.<\/p>\n

Manchester Airport has a range of measures to help autistic children.<\/p>\n

Including a downloadable autistic awareness pack on its website which provides a virtual journey through the airport.<\/p>\n

Recently I met with members of the Prime Minister\u2019s Dementia Taskforce.<\/p>\n

They told me about how they\u2019ve been working with the aviation industry on this issue.<\/p>\n

I was particularly impressed by the feedback they received from someone who cares for a dementia patient.<\/p>\n

Who praised the outstanding door-to-door service they\u2019d received from EasyJet on a recent trip.<\/p>\n

So there\u2019s lots of great work going on.<\/p>\n

We just need to see more of it across the industry.<\/p>\n

So the CAA<\/abbr> is now working with the taskforce and other disability organisations to develop tailored guidance for the industry.<\/p>\n

The airports guidance is expected to be launched in the summer.<\/p>\n

This is a great opportunity for the industry to move forward as a whole.<\/p>\n

First – to ensure every airport and airline is meeting minimum EC<\/abbr> standards of compliance.<\/p>\n

But then to deliver over and above.<\/p>\n

There is real scope here for airports to learn from each other.<\/p>\n

And follow the lead of Gatwick and Manchester.<\/p>\n

Which I know some of you are already doing.<\/p>\n

But this isn\u2019t about \u2018one size fits all.\u2019<\/p>\n

Each airport will find its own solutions.<\/p>\n

So I urge you all to consult with dementia passengers and organisations.<\/p>\n

To really understand and respond to their needs.<\/p>\n

So more people who currently avoid air travel can enjoy the huge benefits of flying that the rest of us take for granted.<\/p>\n

South-east runway<\/h2>\n

I understand why many in the industry were disappointed that we delayed the decision on location of the additional runway we need in the south-east.<\/p>\n

But opponents of expansion.<\/p>\n

Who hailed the delay as some sort of victory.<\/p>\n

Could not have been more wrong.<\/p>\n

The decision was delayed because it was the right thing to do.<\/p>\n

The responsible thing to do.<\/p>\n

To make sure we\u2019re fully prepared.<\/p>\n

So we know we will get the job finished.<\/p>\n

You understand better than most.<\/p>\n

That Britain\u2019s infrastructure-averse culture.<\/p>\n

Has a history of derailing transport schemes.<\/p>\n

This government is changing that culture.<\/p>\n

But to risk any chance of failure at this stage would be unacceptable.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s why we\u2019ve been so thorough with HS2<\/abbr>, the new high speed railway.<\/p>\n

Six years of intense planning.<\/p>\n

The biggest consultation in government history.<\/p>\n

Building the case, town by town, region by region.<\/p>\n

Making sure HS2<\/abbr> is the very best it can be.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing with aviation capacity.<\/p>\n

Sir Howard Davies\u2019 report<\/a> gave us a wealth of data and analysis but you can never have too much evidence, particularly in the light of our emerging understanding of air quality issues and diesel cars.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re using this time to make the case for new capacity even more watertight.<\/p>\n

Additional work to get the best possible outcome.<\/p>\n

So we can deliver it by 2030.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

As I said earlier, aviation is one of the UK<\/abbr>\u2019s success stories.<\/p>\n

And we need that success to continue.<\/p>\n

Alongside the decision on south-east capacity, there are a host of other important issues we are continuing to work on.<\/p>\n

For example, we\u2019re working with the industry to improve airport access.<\/p>\n

Including up to \u00a31.75 billion of investment in roads around Gatwick, Manchester, East Midlands, Birmingham, Heathrow and Stansted.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re making improvements to airport rail links – from Crossrail to HS2<\/abbr> to the Northern Hub.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re working to develop a skilled aviation workforce.<\/p>\n

Support regional connectivity.<\/p>\n

Manage airspace.<\/p>\n

And reduce climate change, noise and other local environmental impacts.<\/p>\n

I know that the issue of Air Passenger Duty (APD<\/abbr>) is never far from your hearts.<\/p>\n

Today (1 March 2016) is when the exemption in APD<\/abbr> for under-16 year olds comes into effect.<\/p>\n

Which will save a family with two children \u00a3142 on a typical holiday to Florida.<\/p>\n

These are all national issues.<\/p>\n

And they deserve a national conversation.<\/p>\n

And it goes without saying that airports need to be at the heart of that conversation.<\/p>\n

Since the 2013 Aviation policy framework<\/a> the industry has moved on.<\/p>\n

And Britain has moved on.<\/p>\n

So we will be asking you this year to help us design the next Framework.<\/p>\n

We want you to tell us about the past 3 years.<\/p>\n

What have we done that\u2019s helped you?<\/p>\n

What haven\u2019t we done to help you?<\/p>\n

And how can we work together more effectively?<\/p>\n

The AOA<\/abbr> has always been very clear about where it agrees and disagrees with government.<\/p>\n

I welcome that.<\/p>\n

Just as I welcome all the feedback I get when I visit airports around the UK<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a privilege for me to work with you as Aviation Minister.<\/p>\n

And I very much value the close dialogue I have with the AOA<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

It works, above all, because we share the same fundamental aspiration.<\/p>\n

To support a growing airports industry.<\/p>\n

That delivers for customers.<\/p>\n

That delivers growth and jobs.<\/p>\n

And that delivers for Britain.<\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Be sensitive to customers with different needs says Transport Minister Robert Goodwill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68108"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=68108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68108\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=68108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=68108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=68108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}