AQW 2768/22-27

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 05/09/2022
Answered On Date: 21/09/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy, with reference to the Montreal Convention, what consultation he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on increasing the amount of compensation a disabled person can claim for damaged mobility equipment whilst travelling on British airlines.

Answer:

Civil Aviation policy and regulation in the UK is largely a reserved matter which rests with the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Under the Montreal Convention 1999 (the Convention), airlines are liable for any damage to mobility equipment, including wheelchairs. My Department has no power to remove the maximum limit set by this Convention and it is also outside the scope of consumer protection law.