From India to the World: Building Airports That Work for Everyone

A recent article in The Hindu by Jagriti Chandra titled “Flyers without mobility issues can pay for wheelchair: DGCA” quotes the draft Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), Clause 4.1.37:

“Airline may levy appropriate assistance fee from passengers other than persons with disability (Divyangjan) and persons with reduced mobility who opt to use these services.”

At first glance, this may even seem well-intentioned—especially when one takes the time to read the Accessibility Standards and Guidelines for Civil Aviation (April 2022), a document that aligns with international best practices and, arguably, advances accessibility. But when placed alongside this proposed clause, the concern is less about intent and more about its application. Instead of opening doors, the clause risks closing them—by placing accessibility behind a paywall.

At face value, the clause seems to draw a neat line: people with disabilities get support for free, while others who choose the service should pay. But that framing misses the deeper issue. Forcing travelers to disclose or “prove” their disability places dignity behind a checkpoint. Accessibility should be the foundation of air travel, not a benefit rationed on proof.

Does this clause mean travelers must demonstrate they have a disability or reduced mobility? Who decides? And why should any person have to reveal intimate details simply to move through an airport with dignity? If accessibility is a fundamental human right—as even the Bombay High Court has recognized—then it must be treated as such, without caveats.

India’s Aviation Boom Meets Demographic Reality

This is unfolding in a moment when India’s aviation sector is booming. India is now the third-largest aviation market in the world, with over 376 million passengers carried in 2024, and the sector is expected to grow at a 12% annual rate, reaching USD 40.8 billion by 2033. Aviation contributes more than USD 50 billion to the Indian economy and supports nearly 8 million jobs.

But while aviation scales up, India’s demographics are shifting. Around 11% of Indians were aged 60 or older in 2025, and that share is projected to more than double to 20%+ by 2050. The elderly population will rise from 153 million today to nearly 347 million by mid-century. With a quarter of older adults likely to face mobility challenges, the demand for dignified, scalable accessibility solutions is only going to grow.

A Global Challenge

India is not alone. Airports worldwide are under strain: wheelchair shortages, rising service costs, labor gaps, and public outrage after heartbreaking cases where passengers were denied assistance—or worse.

Globally, we are aging at a rapid pace. In 2000, people aged 65+ made up 6.9% of the world’s population. By 2050, that figure will more than double to 15.5%. Nearly one in four older adults experiences mobility challenges. Yet airports still rely on outdated models: one person pushing another, or waiting for a buggy to fill before it moves. These practices are inefficient, stressful, and often undignified.

When Design Speaks Dignity, Everyone Benefits

We already know the power of inclusive design. History is full of accessibility innovations that became mainstream:

• Closed captions, created for Deaf viewers, are now used everywhere from gyms to airports.

• Screen readers and text-to-speech, built for blind users, now power GPS and voice assistants.

• Audiobooks, launched as “talking books” for blind readers, are now a publishing staple.

• OCR and predictive text, born from accessibility research, now fuel everyday scanning apps and smartphones.

This is the curb-cut effect: design for inclusion, and the benefits ripple outward to everyone.

A Better Way Forward

Instead of rationing accessibility with fees or proof, let’s design systems that:

• Scale seamlessly with demand

• Require no disclosure or stigma

• Restore agency to passengers

• Make dignity the baseline, not the exception
  

At Blueberry Technology—and among many others working in this space—we are building solutions that give mobility agency back to travelers, reduce dependence on overstretched services, and allow every passenger to navigate airports with pride.

Clause 4.1.37 should not narrow our imagination. It should spark it. It should remind us that the future of aviation must be one where accessibility is not an add-on, not a burden, not a line item—but the foundation of how we design humane, future-ready systems.

That vision is within reach. And it is a future we can—and must—choose to accelerate, together.

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Accessibility isn’t about cost—it’s about how we choose to value people. And when we value dignity, we shape a future that works for everyone.