The UK aviation industry must focus on the needs of disabled people and work to achieve access for all, transport minister John Spellar has said.

The voluntary code of practice Access to Air Travel for Disabled People targets the needs of individuals with a disability from the moment they book their flight to their return journey home, Spellar said.

Forum Response: British Airways

A spokesman for BA said: "British Airways welcomes the voluntary code of practice. We look forward to working with the government over the coming months on designing a bench marking system that we, and other UK carriers, can follow.

"The new publication will benefit both UK airlines, by providing clear guidelines within which to operate, and travellers with disabilities who will have a better idea of the travelling experience they can expect.

"We already meet the majority of requirements as laid down in the document for example - we have lifting armrests, we can accommodate wheelchairs on board, and we provide assistance in terminals. We carry around 400,000 people with a disability out of the 40 million total passengers we carry every year."

Forum Response: Royal National Institute for the Blind

A spokeswoman for the Royal National Institute for the Blind told ePolitix.com: "RNIB warmly welcomes the launch of the voluntary code of practice on Access to Air Travel for Disabled Passengers. In particular we welcome the government's assurance that implementation will be monitored and that they will take powers to confirm it in law if it does not deliver.

"We would urge the government to set a clear deadline for full compliance to ensure the industry gives access provisions the priority they deserve. We remain concerned that good practice is far from universal with some airlines continuing to fail to meet their existing legal obligations under the DDA in respect of assistance to disabled passengers at airports.

"In particular the practice of grouping disabled people as 'special needs passengers' can lead to delays and separation from other companions. Clearly there is a long way to go but today's announcement is a step in the right direction."

Forum Response: Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

Robin Hutchinson, Head of Communications at The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, said: "The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association warmly welcomes the Department for Transport's new code of practice, Access to Air Travel for Disabled People.

"Guide dogs offer their owners mobility, freedom and independence, but inaccessible travel and transport services can totally undermine this. So, whilst many airports and a number of airlines do offer services which are accessible to guide dog owners, many others do not.

"The new code of practice should help to remove some or all of the barriers currently faced by guide dog owners and other disabled people and we hope that this move is a precursor to extending the Disability Discrimination Act so that it covers all forms of publicly available transport.

"We would also like to see far greater commitment to the Pets Passport scheme on the part of ports and airports of entry to the UK. The current very limited roll-out of this important initiative means that all the good practice shown by airlines and airports can be undermined when guide dog and assistance dog owners try to re-enter the UK.

"When the very positive approach indicated by the Mobility and Inclusion Unit's code of practice is reflected in all aspects of air travel, disabled people will be confident that they are receiving the same standards of service as others take for granted."