Disabled flyers given new rights

Disabled passengers will now be given extra help with their journey

Disabled air passengers are being given a new set of rights to ensure airlines and airports cater for their needs.

The government says the regulations will guarantee they get assistance from the door of the airport to their choice of destination.

The new rules also make the airport responsible for providing wheelchairs and lifts up to the aeroplane.

A regulation preventing airlines from denying disabled travellers the right to fly was introduced last year.

Current disability discrimination laws only cover access to airports, not the aircraft.

BBC Transport Correspondent Tom Symonds said the benefits of these new set of rules will be felt not only by the disabled, but those who have had an accident on holiday, such as a skiing mishap.