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Making air travel accessible for people with disability

Many people with disability experience barriers to air travel. These can come in many different forms, such as booking a flight, boarding a plane, getting through the airport or checking in for a flight.

Disability rights Submission by the Commission

Submission summary

  • Submitted date: 25 November 2025
  • Subject: Disability rights
  • Department / Committee: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts
  • Submitted to: Commonwealth Inquiries

Many people with disability experience barriers to air travel. These can come in many different forms, such as booking a flight, boarding a plane, getting through the airport or checking in for a flight.

Air travel reforms

Many people with disability experience barriers to air travel. These can come in many different forms, such as booking a flight, boarding a plane, getting through the airport or checking in for a flight. The Australian Human Rights Commission (Commission) is calling for air travel to be made easier and more accessible for people with disability.

In August 2024, the Australian Government released the Aviation White Paper. It includes a range of actions to improve air travel accessibility for people with disability. These actions including:

  • Make new aviation-specific disability standards as a schedule to the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Cth) under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (these would be specific disability standards that apply to the air travel industry).
  • Legislate for an Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme (an independent, accessible complaint handling service for air travel customers).
  • Establish a new Aviation Customer Rights Charter (this would be a law that sets out the rights of customers when accessing air travel).

The Commission is engaging with the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts on the development and implementation of these actions. The Commission is also a member of the group helping to design the new aviation-specific disability standards.

You can read the Commission’s media release welcoming the Australian Government’s White Paper from August 2024.

The Commission's submissions on air travel

The Commission has made submissions to the following consultations about air travel:

Australian Government consultation on the 2022 review of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Cth) (July 2023)

Australian Government consultation on the Aviation Green Paper (November 2023)

Australian Government consultation on the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme (October 2024)

Australian Government consultation on the Aviation Customer Rights Charter (February 2025)

Australian government consultation on the Aviation Consumer Protections Framework - primary legislation (October 2025)

Australian government inquiry into the Aviation Consumer Protection Bill and 3 related bills (April 2026)

Further information on accessible air travel

To find out more about accessible air travel visit the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts website.

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