Airport facilities for passengers with reduced mobility a must (2)

The MIA's Rosette Fenech (June 27) states that the PRM (passengers with reduced mobility) fee is being levied by virtue of EU regulation EC 1107/2006 of the European Parliament and European Council and it is being imposed by EU effective July 26, 2008.

She calculates that a payment of €0.46 per passenger is solely to cover operational costs. On the latest passenger figures given by MIA it will raise a minimum of €1.5 million per annum.The EU regulation EC 1107/2006 states: "All European airports with traffic of more than 150,000 passengers a year will be required to assist, free of charge, PRM (a category including many elderly people as well as disabled) all the way from arrival at the terminal to emplaning and vice-versa at the destination".

It also states that airport personnel will have to be properly trained in disability awareness and handling.

In her statement to The Times she also states that "the provision of service to PRMs is the responsibility of the ground handlers but is, however, strictly monitored by MIA". The EU regulation states under Article 8 that "Airports will be responsible for providing assistance to PRM outside the aircraft and that responsibility would remain with the managing body of the airport even if the assistance is subcontracted to a third party".

Is Ms Fenech telling us then that every airport that falls into the category of 150,000-plus passengers is levying this fee? I would be very interested to find out, perhaps she could inform me if this is so.

My reason for writing this letter is that my wife and I have been visiting Malta for many years and my wife has disabilities and needs help at the airport, so this issue affects us personally.