INCLAVI Project Seeks Certification Partner for Innovative Aviation Accessibility Training

A pioneering EU initiative is taking a significant step toward transforming air travel experiences for passengers with disabilities by standardizing professional training across the aviation industry. The INCLAVI project now seeks certification expertise to establish its curriculum as the international benchmark for inclusive aviation services.

By Martti Asikainen, 06/05/2024

HELSINKI, March 2025 – The EU-funded INCLAVI (Inclusive Aviation) project has launched a call for European certification bodies to collaborate on its groundbreaking training initiative aimed at transforming air travel for passengers with disabilities.

The project, which brings together a consortium of eight European partners including universities, vocational education providers, and aviation industry experts, is developing a specialized online curriculum to train aviation professionals in providing better service to passengers with specific access requirements.

“This certification partnership is a crucial step toward institutionalizing accessibility standards across the aviation industry,” said Ivor Ambrose, representative of the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), one of the consortium members. “We’re looking for certification bodies with expertise in professional and educational training who can help us establish recognized international standards.”

The INCLAVI training program targets professionals and students across the aviation ecosystem, from travel agencies to airports and airlines. The curriculum focuses on essential competencies including ticketing with PRM (Passengers with Reduced Mobility) assistance requests, disability awareness, universal design principles, and specialized passenger assistance procedures.

ISO Standards to Ensure Quality and Recognition

Certification bodies interested in collaborating with INCLAVI are asked to develop a framework aligned with ISO 17024:2012 standards for certifying individuals. The selected partner will work with the consortium between June 2024 and August 2025 to develop and establish formal certification processes.

The initiative comes amid growing recognition of accessibility challenges in air travel. Recent studies indicate that passengers with disabilities often face significant barriers throughout their journey, from booking to arrival at their destination.

“By creating standardized, certified training, we’re ensuring that accessibility becomes embedded in aviation industry practices rather than treated as an afterthought,” Ambrose added.

Interested certification bodies can submit proposals until May 20, 2024. The consortium, which includes Haaga-Helia University (Finland), Breda University (Netherlands), Careeria (Finland), IATA, Istanbul Airport, Özyeğin University and Yasar University (Turkey), expects to select a partner by early summer.

The INCLAVI project is funded under the European Union’s ERASMUS+ Programme and represents one of the most comprehensive efforts to address accessibility in aviation to date.

For more information about the INCLAVI project or to submit a proposal, interested parties can visit www.inclavi.eu or contact ENAT directly.

Inclusive Aviation (INCLAVI)
2022-2025