WASHINGTON D.C., May 13, 2009—Commercial air carriers and their contracted vendors such as MedAire, Inc. must comply with a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) May 13 deadline associated with the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), or 14 CFR Part 382, enabling passengers with disabilities to have improved access to the skies. The rule requires a Complaints Resolution Official (CRO) be trained to proficiency by May 13 for each carrier affected by the regulation, which includes U.S. air carriers with 19-plus passenger seat planes, international air carriers flying to and from the United States and those with code share agreements.

A CRO is the point-person for complaints lodged against the carrier by passengers with disabilities, and must be proficient in all aspects of the ACAA regulation and the airline’s associated protocols, with the goal of successfully resolving conflicts. Furthermore, Part 382 mandates carriers and vendors train each and every employee who interacts with the public on how to properly assist passengers with disabilities by May 13, 2010, though they are liable in this interim time period.

As a medical services and training provider to 80-plus airlines, MedAire is directly affected by the ACAA rule and is fully compliant as of today. Not only are MedAire’s public-facing employees appropriately trained on ACAA regulations, but its Complaints Resolution Assistants are available 24/7 to help airline CROs with difficult decision making and execution of compliant solutions as they happen.

“With the help of MedAire’s 24/7 CRO Assistance Service and its comprehensive ACAA training programs, air carriers will receive the highest standard of training compliance ensuring the interests of the DOT, the airline and, of course, the passengers,” explains MedAire Vice President of Strategic Development Heidi Giles MacFarlane. “And they’ll receive it quickly, cost-efficiently, with minimal disruption to existing operations.”

With guidance from the DOT and various disability advocacy groups, MedAire has developed extensive on-site and e-Learning ACAA training curricula for commercial airlines to quickly and cost-efficiently become ACAA-compliant by the May 13 deadlines. MedAire training programs are specific to crewmembers, gate and reservation agents and CROs and also include train-the-trainer. For a complete listing of MedAire’s ACAA-related scheduled training dates and programs, visit http://www.medaire.com.

About MedAire
MedAire, an International SOS company, provides a life-saving, integrated solution of remote medical expertise, education and equipment for travelers in the aviation and maritime industries. Since 1986, the company has prepared its clients with knowledge, confidence and the right resources and advice to handle remote medical situations. Using 23 years of medical incident data, MedAire continuously develops up-to-date and internationally compliant products and services to meet the unique needs of the remote traveler. MedAire offers 24/7 direct telephone access to emergency care doctors, medical training, medical kits and defibrillators. Visit us online at http://www.medaire.com/.