IATA & Italy’s Aviation Industry Launch Booking Assistance Project

The One Click Away project aims to make air travel seamlessly accessible to disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility.

The Italian aviation industry is making an important step toward social equality. December 3rd indeed marks the start of the One Click Away Project, where the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and three Italian airlines, namely Air Dolomiti, ITA Airways, and Neos Air, commit to facilitating booking assistance and information for people with disabilities and reduced mobility.

Read more:  ITA Airways Inaugurates Direct Flights Between Rome & New Delhi

The One Click Away Project takes to the skies

A revolution is taking place in the Italian aviation industry. The new One Click Away Project, which involves the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and three Italian carriers, Air Dolomiti, ITA Airways, and Neos Air, aims to make booking information more accessible to disabled passengers and people with reduced mobility.

The One Click Away Project represents the first network of different institutions, national carriers, and aviation-related associations that has ever been created in Italy with the aim of making the flying experience seamlessly accessible to everyone, with no exception. The launch date of the new project is not accidental. Indeed, December 3rd is the International Day of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

From their side, airlines have created intuitive paths on their websites, which are specifically dedicated to the assistance of passengers with a disability or reduced mobility. Thanks to these paths, disabled passengers can easily access information regarding air travel organization and their rights when they board a flight.

As easy as one click

But what is the rationale behind the name of the project? The answer is relatively straightforward: passengers can easily access the dedicated information page with just one click.

The assistance path is characterized by uniform content, clearly conveyed, and with the same layout. Additionally, the path content follows the same order for all three airlines, with no difference. All icons, images, and texts characterizing the path have previously been shared and approved by ANGLAT/FAND trade associations for the Italian version. In contrast, the English version has been approved by the Open Doors Organization. The approval from part of these associations ensures that the content of the airlines' websites is presented in respect of everyone's sensitivity and needs.

How to access the dedicated path

Once a passenger with a disability or reduced mobility lands on one of the three carriers' institutional pages, where do they have to go?

What should be looked for is a stylized image of a wheelchair, which can be found in the top right corner of the three airlines' websites. By being displayed on the homepage of the three websites, the wheelchair icon is immediately identifiable, making it easy for the passengers to access the information. Once the page has been accessed, passengers can seamlessly book assistance with the carrier they are flying with. Besides booking specific services, such as requesting a wheelchair, a list of useful topics can also be found.

What is the significance of this initiative?

Rafael Schvartzman, IATA Regional Vice President of Europe, has positively welcomed the Italian initiative and hopes other countries will follow suit.

For Enac, the Italian civil aviation authority, the One Click Away Initiative is part of its broader commitment to continuously simplifying the flying experience for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility. Thanks to the coordination of IATA and the commitment of three Italian carriers, Enac president, Pierluigi di Palma, is confident this project will represent the gateway for disabled passengers to seamless air transport.

Fabio Maria Lazzerini, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of ITA Airways, stated how the One Click Away Project would enable the Italian national carrier to pursue one of its main objectives:

"“Participating in One Click Away, in addition to the intrinsic value of the project, allows us to pursue one of our important objectives, to ensure everyone has equal access to air travel and at the same time to customise the service according to the needs of each"

Additionally, Mr Lazzerini stated that working on this kind of project in cooperation with other institutions and in synergy with other airlines is an excellent example of collaboration on a social issue that goes beyond the specific interests of each individual carrier.