14 CFR Part 382 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel (Air Carrier Access Act) (with amendments issued through May 2016)

§382.65 What are the requirements concerning on-board wheelchairs?

(a) As a carrier, you must equip aircraft that have more than 60 passenger seats, and that have an accessible lavatory (whether or not having such a lavatory is required by §382.63 of this Part) with an on-board wheelchair. The Aerospatiale/Aeritalia ATR-72 and the British Aerospace Advanced Turboprop (ATP), in configurations having between 60 and 70 passenger seats, are exempt from this requirement.

(b) If a passenger asks you to provide an on-board wheelchair on a particular flight, you must provide it if the aircraft being used for the flight has more than 60 passenger seats, even if the aircraft does not have an accessible lavatory.

(1) The basis of the passenger's request must be that he or she can use an inaccessible lavatory but cannot reach it from a seat without using an on-board wheelchair.

(2) You may require the passenger to provide the advance notice specified in §382.27 to receive this service.

(c) You must ensure that on-board wheelchairs meet the following standards:

(1) On-board wheelchairs must include footrests, armrests which are movable or removable, adequate occupant restraint systems, a backrest height that permits assistance to passengers in transferring, structurally sound handles for maneuvering the occupied chair, and wheel locks or another adequate means to prevent chair movement during transfer or turbulence.

(2) The chair must be designed to be compatible with the maneuvering space, aisle width, and seat height of the aircraft on which it is to be used, and to be easily pushed, pulled, and turned in the cabin environment by carrier personnel.

(d) As a foreign carrier, you must meet this requirement as of May 13, 2010. As a U.S. carrier, you must meet this requirement by May 13, 2009.