Accessible travel is one of the big talking points at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo, particularly following the US Department of Transportation (DOT)’s final ruling in 2023 to amend the Air Carrier Access Act. The amendments to the regulation include requirements to improve the accessibility of lavatories on single-aisle aircraft for passengers with reduced mobility.
A critical element of this ruling is that all US airlines and all foreign airlines flying to or from the United States must comply with specific requirements regarding the design and technical aspects of onboard wheelchairs. This is why Airchair, a UK-based designer of aircraft aisle wheelchairs, is launching a new product designed to provide a safe and economical solution to meet all the latest legal requirements from the DOT.
The new wheelchair is an evolution of the company’s existing standard Airchair model – hence its title of Airchair II – and is designed to meet the specific requirements of US DoT Regulation 14 CFR Part 382.65.
Airchair II is available in two width options, of 14in / 360mm and 15in / 380mm. All four castors on the aisle chairs provide 360o rotation for maximum movement, with brakes to secure the chair during passenger transfers. The back rest can be retracted with a simple ‘push bar’ to further enable safe and easy transfers of passengers from one seat to another.
The two rear castors are directional and can be fixed in a forward or backward position for safe, directional travel, making it easy for cabin crew to move passengers around the confines of an aircraft. Airchair II also has a non-slip footplate with a strap to keep the occupant’s feet secure, and a safety stay that deploys as the chair is opened and locks the ‘X’ frame during use.
The chair that is also lightweight (6.8kg/15lb), and is easy to stow, deploy and move around an aircraft.
The seat and back covers of the Airchair II on show at AIX are padded and trimmed with from ELeather from GenPhoenix. The entire framework is finished with SterilcoatAM, an anti-microbial coating formulated to prevent the spread of dangerous organisms.
Airchair II is available for demonstration at AIX, on Stand A65 at Hall 5 of Hamburg Messe.
