Telford-based
Aviramp, a world-leading aviation ramp specialist, has unveiled its latest innovation, marking what it describes as a major step forward in improving passenger accessibility. The manufacturer has launched the Aviramp ChairLifter, a purpose-built, solar-powered lift designed for electric mobility aids (EMAs) such as mobility scooters.
Aviramp founder and CEO Graham Corfield said the mobile ChairLifter will dramatically reduce the number of wheelchairs and scooters damaged in transit and eliminate the need for staff to manually lift heavy items onto aircraft. He added: “We think this new innovation changes the game as far as getting heavy and often fragile EMAs onto aircraft is concerned.”
The system incorporates a specially-designed hydraulic platform that allows EMAs to be lifted automatically onto any size of aircraft and then wheeled directly onto a belt loader on arrival, without any manual handling. Mr Corfield explained: “The lift will raise and lower to any height and comes equipped with ramps to make moving EMAs on and off aircraft completely straightforward. It can be operated by just one person, has a capacity of up to 500kg, and we believe it will dramatically decrease both the number of mobility aids being damaged in flight and the number of injuries to ground-handling staff caused by lifting heavy aids.”
He added that the fear of having vital mobility equipment damaged remains a major barrier to flying for many people with reduced mobility. “The ChairLifter will solve that and give everybody peace of mind when they fly.”
The ChairLifter is solar-powered, portable, and practical, and can be moved by hand or towed by a baggage cart. It is also suitable for transporting bulky items such as aircraft spares if required. Multiple ChairLifters can be towed together, enabling ground handling teams to preload several units at different aircraft stands for maximum operational efficiency. Mr Corfield said: “The response we have already had – and the number of orders we have received even before it has been launched — suggest this is an idea whose time has well and truly come.”
Aviramp is the company behind the world’s first fully-sustainable solar-powered suite of passenger boarding ramps and bridges, designed to help passengers board and disembark aircraft in comfort, safety, and with dignity. More than 900 of its ramps are now in use at airports worldwide.