By Seth McBride: Complete Post through this link…
The Department of Transportation announced a rule on July 26 that will require an accessible bathroom on single-aisle aircraft operating in the U.S. The rule was finalized on the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, yet airlines will have a decade to comply with the new requirement.
The rule applies only to new single-aisle aircraft ordered 10 years or delivered 12 years after the rule becomes effective. For as long as this time frame is, earlier drafts of the rule gave airlines 18 to 20 years to become compliant. Double-aisle, wide-body aircraft — the larger planes that often fly transcontinental flights — are already required to have an accessible restroom. Single-aisle planes are used for most U.S. domestic flights, so the new rule has the potential to provide a significant accessibility upgrade to the flight experience of disabled Americans.
