Be Heard in the Skies Above the UK: Tell the CAA

The following invitation for feedback is being circulated by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of the UK:

Dear Sir / Madam

It has been almost a year since the full implementation of the EC
Regulation concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with
reduced mobility (PRMs) when travelling by air, which provides an
opportunity to take stock. The CAA is therefore seeking views on how
effectively the Regulation is being implemented in the UK. This work is
being carried out in close co-operation with the Equality and Human
Rights Commission (EHRC), the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland
(CNNI) and the Department for Transport (DfT).

The CAA envisages producing a report that will:

 * raise awareness of the issues faced by PRMs;
 * describe how the PRM regulation has been implemented in
the UK;
 * identify any issues or problems that have arisen since
the Regulation was implemented; and
 * provide advice or make recommendations where
appropriate, as to how such problems should be addressed.

The European Commission has undertaken to report to the European
Parliament and the Council by 1 January 2010 on the operation and
effects of the Regulation (EC 1107 / 2006, Article 17). The CAA expects
that its final report will inform the Commission's review. The
Commission has overall legislative responsibility for the Regulation.

The purpose of this letter is to invite your organisation to share its
experience of the Regulation with the CAA. We are particularly
interested in your experience before the Regulation was implemented,
since the Regulation came into force and how, if at all, this has
changed. We have prepared sets of questions to help guide, but not
limit, your response. The questions can be found on the CAA website at:

http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=5&pagetype=90&pageid=629

Where possible we would be grateful if you could substantiate anything
in your response with evidence.

The CAA is allowing eight weeks for responses. During this period, the
CAA would be happy to meet you. We would be grateful to receive
responses by 31 July 2009. The CAA may also follow-up with you after 31
July to explore issues raised in your response.

The CAA expects to make all responses available on its website unless
advised otherwise. Any material that is regarded as confidential should
be clearly marked and included in a separate annex, which subject to
further discussion with the author, will not be published.

For further detail please contact me on my details below. I look
forward to hearing from you in due course.

James Mackay
Head, Regulatory Implementation | Civil Aviation Authority - Economic
Regulation Group | CAA House, 45-59 Kingsway, London WC2B 6TE
t 020 7453 6233 e james.mackay@caa.co.uk