The statistics around wheelchair and mobility aid mishandling in aviation make uncomfortable reading, and Aviramp chief executive Graham Corfield believes the whole industry needs to face them head-on.
In the USA, one in every 100 wheelchairs and mobility scooters was mishandled by aviation companies in 2025. That may sound like a small percentage — but Graham puts it in sharp perspective.
“Imagine if one in every 100 able-bodied passengers suffered a broken leg while flying,” he says. “Suddenly, it doesn’t feel small at all.”
The picture in the UK is similarly troubling. Data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) shows that in 2023, more than 283,000 wheelchairs and mobility aids were carried by major airlines — with at least 1,217 damaged. That is an average of 100 every month. The regulator believes the true figure is even higher, due to inconsistent reporting and passengers not filing claims.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Transportation has delayed enforcement of key wheelchair travel protections until at least the end of the year — a move campaigners say effectively amounts to a suspension of disabled passengers’ rights.
For travellers who rely on mobility aids, it adds up to a deeply unsatisfactory picture.
Digging deeper, there are some encouraging trends. In the US, the overall mishandling rate fell from 1.26 per cent to 1.09 per cent last year — the latest in a slow but positive direction of travel.
There are also standout operators demonstrating what is possible. Delta Air Lines, a company Aviramp is proud to work closely with, particularly on its D-Day flights returning Normandy veterans to France, tops the US charts, mishandling just 0.43 per cent of the mobility aids it carried. That represents a 32 per cent improvement on 2024.
Progress is being made on the ground too. Aviramp has launched its new ChairLifter, which eliminates the need for manual handling of wheelchairs and scooters, the point at which most damage tends to occur, and it is already helping to drive damage rates down.
Graham is clear that the aviation industry knows it must do better and is moving in the right direction, but that it must also try harder and move more quickly.
This mission has been at the heart of Aviramp’s work from day one. Its step-free boarding ramps were designed specifically to remove barriers, reduce risk and ensure that every passenger, whatever their personal circumstances, can travel safely and with dignity.
“We won’t stop working towards that goal,” says Graham. “On National Accessible Air Travel Day, I urge everyone in the industry to join with us.”