31/07/2008
The new EU regulation applied in Verona and Brescia airports
The new European Community Regulation for disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility entered into force at Verona and Brescia airport. According to the time established by the Transport Commission of the European Union, the airport managing body completed all infrastructural and organizational investments in order to give the disabled opportunities for air travel similar to those of other citizens and granting a high level of assistance without additional costs.
“The new European regulations – said Catullo CEO, Fabio Bortolazzi – have the purpose to eliminate discrimination against citizens with different abilities in all Member States. From today they will be granted easier access to the airport facilities, the possibility to get useful information even for visually impaired persons and assistance by trained personell; all with respect for their privacy”.
Specific operations have been carried out in Verona and Brescia to serve this aim and in line with the already exhisting norms aiming at removing all architectural obstacles in public places.
From last week special intercom phones for assistance request are in use in the parking places for disabled and at the entrance of both arrival and departure terminals. Persons with reduced mobility shall use these phones to inform about their arrival and request for accompanying personell (must be previously requested at the time of flight booking).
Visually impaired passengers are welcomed in Verona right from the arrival terminal, where tactile pathways have been provided to move easier in the airport. Antonio Zerman, director of technical operations, said “when the present rebuilding works will be completed, visually impaired passengers will find the airport map equipped with tactile information at the departure entrance, and will be able to follow a special strip on the floor to reach national and international check-in desks. At D’Annunzio in Brescia the same service is already available in the departure area”.
For the waiting time before boarding, a sala amica (courtesy corner) with telephone is available at both airports for disabled passengers and persons with reduced mobility. At Catullo, because of the rebuilding works in the departure area, the sala amica is temporarly located near the tour operators and check-in area. In the future, it could be reached after passing the security check points, near the boarding gates.
Cark-parking places for disabled are available in the short-term parkings at Catullo departure and arrival terminals, in the P1 parking and in the multilevel basement parking; all parking areas are equipped with intercom phones for assistance request. For free parking it will be necessary to show the staff at the cash desk your parking badge, your identity document and the parking entrance ticket. At D’Annunzio special car parking places are located in the parking in front of the arrival terminal, they are equipped with intercom telephones and free for disabled.
“To better meet the requirements stated in the EU regulation – added CEO Claudio Boccardo – together with the technical operations, we also provided disability-related training to our personell who deal directly with the travelling public”. Courses of different levels have been attended by over 500 employees of Verona and Brescia airports. These trained personell will accompany passengers to the check-in desks, to the security check points and will help them boarding with special equipments on the plane.
Further information are available from section “Passengers Services” on Verona and Brescia airports website:www.aeroportidelgarda.it