Aviation Consumer Protection: Few U.S. Aircraft Have Lavatories Designed to Accommodate Passengers with Reduced Mobility

Flying can pose significant challenges for persons who rely on wheelchairs, including the lack of wheelchair accessible lavatories on most flights. In 1990, DOT required wheelchair accessible lavatories on twin-aisle aircraft used mainly for long flights. It did not require them for single-aisle aircraft, although DOT continued to study the issue. Since 1990, technological advances have enabled single-aisle aircraft to fly longer distances, and these aircraft now make 99 percent of domestic flights. In 2016, a DOT advisory committee recommended that DOT require accessible lavatories in certain single-aisle aircraft in the future.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2018 included a provision that GAO examine the availability and designs of lavatories on commercial aircraft and the ability of passengers with disabilities to access them. This report describes (1) what is known about lavatory designs and accessibility for persons with reduced mobility and (2) the challenges wheelchair-bound passengers and others face while traveling on single-aisle aircraft without accessible or functional lavatories.

GAO reviewed DOT's guidance and rulemaking and analyzed DOT's aircraft complaint data and fleet data for the eight largest U.S. air carriers. GAO interviewed officials from the eight largest mainline carriers and reviewed their fleet and lavatory data. GAO also interviewed officials from Airbus and Boeing and subsidiary lavatory manufacturers, as well as representatives from cabin crew labor associations and consumer groups representing persons with disabilities.

Aircraft manufacturers offer lavatories that carriers can provide and that are designed to accommodate users of onboard wheelchairs, but carriers do not choose to acquire this option for their single-aisle aircraft. We found designs for lavatories that enable a passenger in an onboard wheelchair to use them, to varying degrees. In recent years, both Airbus and Boeing—makers of single-aisle aircraft—began offering similarly designed lavatories to provide greater access for these passengers. For example, one design consists of two adjacent lavatories located in the rear galley area with a connecting retractable wall to allow for a wheelchair-bound passenger to enter one lavatory and transfer or be transferred to the toilet in the other lavatory. Another design is a single lavatory large enough to accommodate a passenger using an onboard wheelchair. Four of the eight U.S. carriers—and only one of the four with the largest fleets—GAO interviewed have Airbus aircraft with an adjacent lavatory design (Space Flex version 1) or the single lavatory design found on the A220 aircraft, constituting about 4.5 percent of the carriers' combined single-aisle fleet (see figure). None of the eight U.S. carriers have purchased a similar lavatory for their Boeing's single-aisle aircraft. Carrier officials told GAO that they consider many factors when ordering lavatories, including financial and service tradeoffs such as the potential to lose seating spaces, or reduced food and beverage service for passengers.

While the Department of Transportation (DOT) receives few complaints on lavatory inaccessibility, consumer groups told GAO that the lack of an accessible lavatory on single-aisle aircraft presents challenges for persons with reduced mobility. For example, some passengers take precautionary measures to avoid the need to use the aircraft lavatory and others avoid flying altogether. Additionally, although some aircraft have wheelchair-accommodating lavatories, they are not well advertised to passengers, making it difficult for passengers to know whether their flight may have such a lavatory. To address such challenges and the findings of its 2016 advisory committee, DOT issued, on December 16, 2019, a notice of proposed rulemaking to require carriers to install accessibility features without changing the size of the lavatories. DOT also expressed intent to study the costs and benefits of enlarging single-aisle aircraft lavatories to enable use by passengers using the onboard wheelchair.

For persons with reduced mobility, flying can pose significant challenges.  Embarking and disembarking the aircraft can be a lengthy process and  require assistance from airline personnel. After boarding, passengers with  reduced mobility may need to access aircraft lavatories and those  passengers unable to walk to the lavatory on their own likely would need  to rely on an onboard wheelchair designed to fit down narrow aircraft  aisles. However, most lavatories on single-aisle aircraft are inaccessible  to these passengers unless they are able to stand and pivot from the  onboard wheelchair into the lavatory.

In 1990, in response to the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) of 1986, the  Department of Transportation (DOT) implemented regulations that  included requirements for twin-aisle aircraft that historically have been  used for coast-to-coast and international flights to have at least one  lavatory accessible by the aircraft’s onboard wheelchair. DOT’s  accessible lavatory regulation does not apply to single-aisle aircraft,  which at the time of the rule’s promulgation were used primarily for  shorter flights. However, due to technological advancements, single-aisle  aircraft can now be used for longer flights, including longer coast-to-coast  and some international flights. Because of a lavatory’s size and  configuration, aircraft lavatories can also be challenging for other  passengers needing extra room, such as to accommodate their size or to  change a baby’s diaper.

Section 426 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 includes a provision  for us to review the availability and design of lavatories on commercial  aircraft, and the ability of passengers with disabilities to use accessible  aircraft lavatories. Since twin-aisle aircraft are subject to the DOT  requirement to have at least one accessible lavatory this report focuses  on lavatories on single-aisle aircraft. In this report we: (1) describe the  lavatory designs for single-aisle commercial aircraft and the availability of  lavatories designed to provide access for persons with reduced mobility  on those aircraft and (2) discuss the challenges wheelchair-bound  passengers and others face traveling on single-aisle aircraft without  accessible or functional lavatories and efforts DOT has under way to  address these challenges.

To describe the lavatory designs for single-aisle aircraft and the  availability of lavatories designed to provide access for persons with reduced mobility on selected air carriers’ single aisle aircraft , we  reviewed DOT’s regulations, guidance, and rulemakings pertaining to  lavatories on commercial passenger aircraft. We also conducted a  literature search of government, trade, and academic publications for  studies and articles pertaining to aircraft lavatory accessibility,  functionality, and size. Specifically, we searched for articles published  between January 2009 and February 2019 in Scopus, EBSCO, ProQuest,  Dialog, West, and Aviation Week Information Network. We interviewed  officials from DOT, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),  on federal requirements for aircraft lavatories. We analyzed commercial- passenger aviation statistics from DOT’s Bureau of Transportation  Statistics (BTS) and we selected the top eight U.S. mainline carriers  based on 2018 passenger trips to include in our review. We interviewed  the eight carriers about their fleets and type of lavatories—including  lavatories designed to provide increased access for persons with reduced  mobility. We reviewed and analyzed the carriers’ most recent corporate  reports and websites for additional information on their fleets and lavatory  types. These carriers’ fleets of single-aisle aircraft largely consist of  aircraft manufactured by Airbus (A220, A319, A320, and A321aircraft) or  various versions of Boeing’s 737 or 757 aircraft. We interviewed officials  from Airbus and Boeing and four manufacturers that make lavatories for  Airbus and Boeing aircraft about lavatory designs and their accessibility to  persons who rely on the aircraft’s on-board wheelchair. To obtain the  perspectives of cabin crew and passengers on the accessibility of aircraft  lavatories, we interviewed representatives of cabin-crew labor  associations and consumer groups (i.e., stakeholder groups), including  those representing persons with disabilities. Because there is no federal  requirement for or definition of what constitutes an accessible lavatory on  single-aisle aircraft, we focused on whether existing lavatories on those  aircraft were designed to accommodate passengers with reduced  mobility, including those who rely on the onboard wheelchair to enter an  aircraft lavatory with an assistant’s aid in order to use the facilities.

To describe the challenges passengers with reduced mobility, including  those who require the use of the onboard wheelchair, may face related to  accessing aircraft lavatories, we obtained passenger complaint data from  DOT and the selected air carriers. We obtained data for passenger  complaints related to accessibility, inadequate facilities, and flight delays  for calendar years 2014 through 2018 from DOT’s Aviation Consumer  Protection Division’s consumer complaint database. We analyzed the  data to identify complaints related to lavatory function, size, and  accessibility. To assess the reliability of the complaint data, we  interviewed DOT officials about how the data were collected and used.  Because our interviews with DOT officials indicated that no changes had  been made to the processes used to collect and maintain the complaint  data, we also relied on the past data’s reliability assessment from our  recently issued airline consumer-protection report, an assessment that  found that the data were sufficiently reliable for our purposes. We also  requested passenger complaint data for calendar year 2018 related to  lavatories from the eight selected U.S. carriers and obtained from data  from four carriers for this time period. We interviewed officials from the  eight selected U.S. carriers and obtained and reviewed their policies on  and the frequency of flights with non-functioning lavatories for calendar  year 2018. To understand the types of challenges wheelchair-bound  passengers face regarding lavatory accessibility, we interviewed  representatives of cabin-crew labor associations and consumer groups,  especially those representing persons with disabilities. We also  interviewed DOT officials and members of DOT’s Advisory Committee on  Accessible Air Transportation (ACCESS Advisory Committee), which  studied issues involved in requiring accessible lavatories on single aisle  aircraft in anticipation of possible rulemaking.

We conducted this performance audit from December 2018 to December  2019 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing  standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to  obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for  our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe  that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings  and conclusions based on our audit objectives.

When DOT issued regulations requiring accessible lavatories on twin- aisle aircraft in 1990, single-aisle aircraft were used primarily for shorter  distances. However, technological advancements—such as the use of  lighter, stronger composite materials—have enabled aircraft to fly longer  distances with greater fuel efficiency. As a result, both Airbus and Boeing  now offer single-aisle aircraft designs that can routinely fly 3,000 to  almost 4,000 nautical miles—or easily from coast to coast in the  continental U.S. as well as some overseas routes to and from the U.S. Of  the eight U.S. carriers we interviewed for this review, five of them operate  only single-aisle aircraft and the remaining three fly a mixture of single-  and twin-aisle aircraft. As shown in figure 1, twin-aisle aircraft are rarely  used for domestic flights by U.S. carriers. In 2018, 99 percent of U.S.  aircraft departures for domestic flights occurred on single-aisle aircraft:  71.7 percent on the larger single-aisle aircraft; 26.61 percent on smaller,  regional aircraft; and 0.68 percent on turbo jets.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 57 million Americans (roughly 1 in 5)  have a disability, of whom half have mobility issues that may require  accommodations when flying. Furthermore, older Americans are  representing a greater share of the U.S. population. By 2020, 16.5  percent of the nation’s population will be over age 65, and by 2030, 20  percent of the population will be over age 65, and the likelihood of this  group’ needing assistance to access lavatories may increase as they age.  As an indication of the number of people with reduced mobility flying,  DOT’s monthly aviation travel data indicate that for the first 6 months of  2019, aviation passengers checked a total of 294,216 wheelchairs and  scooters.

Over the past 30 years, some efforts have been made to address the  issue of ensuring non-discriminatory treatment of aircraft passengers,  including access to aircraft lavatories. The enactment of the ACAA, which  prohibits discrimination by airlines on the basis of disability, charged DOT  with promulgating implementing regulations. DOT promulgated a final rule  in 1990, in which it required aircraft with more than one aisle (twin-aisle  aircraft) in which lavatories are provided to have at least one wheelchair  accessible lavatory. DOT, however, deferred setting regulations for  single-aisle aircraft, noting cost and feasibility concerns for carriers. Since  that initial regulation, DOT has taken several steps to study the issue of  accessible lavatories for single-aisle aircraft, but as of December 2019,  none of these actions has resulted in a regulation for accessible  lavatories in single-aisle aircraft. These steps include:

DOT issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) to  study, among other things, the issue of accessible lavatories on  single-aisle aircraft that was issued in conjunction with its final rule  mandating that twin-aisle aircraft must have a lavatory that is  accessible to passengers who use wheelchairs.

DOT created an advisory committee in 1992 to provide guidance to  DOT concerning access to lavatories on single-aisle aircraft for  persons with disabilities, including persons who rely on the aircraft’s  onboard wheelchairs. In 1996, the committee reported to DOT that it  would be feasible to provide accessible lavatories on single-aisle  aircraft but acknowledged that there could be a cost to doing so.

As part of a final rule that DOT issued in 2008 to amend the ACAA  regulations to include foreign carriers that fly to the U.S., DOT  acknowledged that requiring accessible lavatories on single-aisle  aircraft was an ongoing issue. While the department noted that  accessible lavatories on single-aisle aircraft would benefit passengers  with disabilities, it also expressed concerns that revenue loss and  other cost impacts could be too great for the carriers. The department  said that it would continue to study the issue and review ongoing  developments.

DOT published a notice of intent in December 2015 to explore the  feasibility of conducting a negotiated rulemaking concerning, among  other things, accessible lavatories on single-aisle aircraft for travelers  with disabilities.

As a result of the 2015 notice of intent, DOT established the ACCESS  Advisory Committee in 2016—composed of representatives from air  carriers, aircraft manufacturers, disability groups, and other aviation  stakeholders. Its charge was to negotiate and develop a proposed  amendment to DOT regulations for DOT’s consideration concerning  accommodations for air travelers with disabilities that would address  whether to require accessible lavatories on new single-aisle aircraft,  among other issues. The committee noted that the issue of requiring  accessible lavatories on single-aisle aircraft merited exploration  because of two developments: (1) the increased use of single-aisle  aircraft on long flights, and (2) the availability of new accessible-  lavatory designs for single-aisle aircraft. In late 2016, the ACCESS  Advisory Committee agreed on proposed amendments that included  short-term and long-term solutions to address the challenges persons  with mobility impairments face when traveling on single-aisle aircraft.  The committee, taking into account costs to industry, recommended  accessible lavatories on new aircraft, did not recommend requiring the  retrofit of existing aircraft, and proposed a multi-tiered approach to  meet this goal.

In 2019, DOT publicized its intent to issue notices of proposed  rulemaking regarding accessible lavatories to address the ACCESS  Advisory Committee’s final resolution, which we discuss in more detail  below.

Manufacturers of Single-Aisle Aircraft Offer Lavatories Designed to Better Accommodate Persons with Reduced Mobility, but Selected Carriers Rarely Choose to Acquire Them

Aircraft Manufacturers Offer a Range of Lavatory Designs for Single-Aisle Aircraft, Including Designs to Accommodate Onboard Wheelchairs

Both Airbus and Boeing offer their customers a range of standard lavatory  designs. For example, both Airbus and Boeing offer a lavatory with a  contoured design (see fig. 2). This design offers a smaller sink and  different dimensions than previous lavatories and has a contoured or  angled wall on the exterior allowing seats in the last row to recline into the  bottom portion of the contour. Air carriers can also choose to move the  last row of seats back into the contour and then add an extra row of seats  after making other changes to the configuration of seating rows. Airbus  and Boeing also offer flat-wall lavatory designs that are similar to the  standard flat-wall lavatories that had previously been available on single- aisle aircraft for years but have slightly different interior dimensions.  Compared to the contoured lavatory design, this current flat-wall lavatory  design could offer a larger sink or more countertop space. According to  measurements and diagrams the aircraft and lavatory manufacturers  provided for these lavatory styles, some interior lavatory dimensions have  decreased while other dimensions have increased. For example, changes  in these two lavatory styles have resulted in increased interior space in  some areas, such as the sitting knee space and diagonal shoulder width,  and decreased space in other areas, such as the entry width and door  height. These changes were to provide carriers options to help them  meet their business strategies.

In addition to making changes to the standard lavatories, since 2015, both  Airbus and Boeing offered lavatory configurations for their single-aisle  aircraft designed to provide greater access for passengers who rely on  the use of onboard wheelchairs. According to officials for Airbus and Boeing, both manufacturers use a design that connects two adjacent  lavatories with a retractable wall or partition. As shown in figure 3, when  the folding partition is open, this configuration is designed to enable the  person who relies on the aircraft-onboard-wheelchair to enter in one of  the lavatories and then transfer or be transferred to the toilet in the other  lavatory. While there are differences between the Boeing and Airbus  models, they operate similarly. Both the Airbus and Boeing designs are  for the rear of the aircraft and take up space in the area normally used for  the galley where food and drink carts are located for flight attendants’  access. According to officials we interviewed from two carriers that have  purchased aircraft with this design, a reduced galley area is less of a  concern because their flights provide limited food and beverage service  and do not need a full galley. They said that the space where the  traditional lavatories were located could be used for other purposes, such  as more seats.

According to the manufacturers, the lavatory models that are designed for  greater accessibility accommodate the onboard wheelchair to varying  degrees.

Airbus offers two designs to accommodate a passenger with an  onboard wheelchair. The Space Flex version 1 design consists of two  adjacent lavatories with a connecting retractable partition. This  retractable partition can open to allow for a passenger who relies on  the aircraft onboard-wheelchair to enter the lavatory with or without  the help of an assistant. A representative from a disability  organization was generally positive about the Space Flex version 1  and said it was a good design for both carriers and travelers with  disabilities. Airbus also offers another lavatory design specifically for  its A220 single-aisle aircraft model. Airbus officials told us that it is a  single lavatory that is designed to accommodate a wheelchair but  cannot accommodate both a passenger in an onboard wheelchair and  an assistant.

Boeing offers one lavatory designed to accommodate a passenger  using an onboard wheelchair for single-aisle aircraft for its 737 aircraft  family. This design, known as the Pax Plus, consists of two adjacent  lavatories with a removable partition designed to enable a wheelchair  and assistant to enter.

In addition, officials from the eight selected air carriers told us that their  crews are trained to assist passengers with reduced mobility to use  lavatories. These officials from the eight air carriers stated that they  provide their cabin crew with initial and, in some cases, recurrent training  about how to assist passengers with reduced mobility, pursuant to DOT  regulations. DOT regulations further stipulate that if there is an on-board  wheelchair, the carrier must provide assistance to enable the passenger  to move to and from the lavatory if, in general, such assistance is  requested by or on behalf of a passenger with a disability.

Onboard Wheelchair- Accommodating Lavatories Are Not a Common Feature on Selected U.S. Carriers’ Aircraft

While aircraft manufacturers offer lavatories designed to accommodate  passengers with mobility impairments, carriers do not often choose to  acquire them. Of the eight U.S. carriers we interviewed, we found that  four have some aircraft—all of which are Airbus aircraft—with lavatories  that are designed to accommodate passengers with mobility impairments  to some extent. Only one of these carriers is among the four with the  largest number of aircraft in their fleet. Specifically, these four carriers  have either the Space Flex version 1 or the Airbus A220 lavatory. Despite  Boeing’s offering of the Pax Plus lavatories since 2017, Boeing officials  told us that as of November 2019 no U.S. carriers have ordered these  lavatories for their current or future single-aisle Boeing aircraft. Overall,  about 4.5 percent of the combined single-aisle fleet of the eight selected  carriers have lavatories designed to provide some measure of greater  access to passengers with reduced mobility, including those who require  the use of the onboard wheelchair (see fig.4).

According to the carriers we interviewed, they consider the configuration  of the aircraft among other factors, including their business strategy,  when ordering lavatories for new aircraft. Providing a lavatory designed to  accommodate onboard wheelchairs on single aisle aircraft may require  financial tradeoffs for carriers, such as reducing the number of revenue  generating seats in the aircraft cabin. According to airline officials, this  reduction can result in higher costs for carriers that subsequently might  be passed onto consumers through higher fares. Officials from all eight  selected carriers, however, stated that all of their aircraft lavatories have  features designed to increase access to certain lavatory functions, such  as assist handles or grab bars, accessible call buttons, door locks, and  faucets that passengers with disabilities can use.

Carrier officials also stated that they need to make trade-offs between  competing priorities; for example, taking into account how onboard  wheelchair-accommodating lavatory designs may affect food service.  According to officials from two carriers, an onboard wheelchair- accommodating lavatory can result in less galley space, and a full galley  at the back of the aircraft is needed for the type of services they wish to  provide to their customers without compromising customer seating  capacity. Conversely, officials from two other carriers told us that trading  galley space for onboard wheelchair-accommodating lavatories did not  affect their food service, as they do not provide full meal service. For  example, they said that because they did not need the full galley space,  the Space Flex lavatory enabled them to add not only a lavatory that  accommodates onboard wheelchairs but also an additional row of  passenger seats.

Lack of Onboard Wheelchair- Accommodating Lavatories Can Make Flying Difficult for Persons with Reduced Mobility, and DOT Is Considering Rulemaking for Accessible Lavatories on Single-Aisle Aircraft

While Complaint Data Are Limited, Groups Advocating for Persons with Reduced Mobility Stated That the Lack of Accessible Lavatories Makes Flying Difficult

Representatives from stakeholder groups we interviewed told us that the  lack of accessible lavatories makes flying challenging for persons with  reduced mobility. They described how some passengers with reduced  mobility take precautionary measures to avoid the need to use an aircraft  lavatory, such as severely limiting food and fluid intake in advance of the  flight, risking dehydration; using a catheter; or wearing a protective  undergarment. Some passengers with reduced mobility reportedly may  avoid long flights altogether by purchasing flights with connections or  layovers. However, according to one stakeholder group, these  precautionary measures may not alleviate the fear and anxiety that  passengers who rely on the onboard wheelchair to get to the lavatory  may face during air travel as there is always the possibility of having to  deal with circumstances beyond their control. For example, unforeseen  events such as increased flight time or delays in getting to the gate can  increase the time a passenger has to postpone attending to normal bodily  functions. Finally, stakeholder groups report that passengers may choose  not to travel at all, or to drive rather than fly, choices that may increase  the cost and time of travel, particularly if it involves an overnight stay.

Even when an aircraft has a lavatory that can accommodate an onboard  wheelchair, which exists on about 4.5 percent of the combined fleet of  single-aisle aircraft for the 8 airlines included in our review, passengers  may have difficulty determining whether or not their flight has such a  lavatory. According to officials of air carriers, passengers may call the  carriers’ customer service department for this information, although not all  phone representatives may have this information readily available. In  addition, our review of selected carriers’ websites revealed that most do  not have information about which flights or aircraft may have such a  lavatory, although we found that two carriers include descriptions of  aircraft amenities or diagrams denoting onboard wheelchair- accommodating lavatories. However, even if this information were made  available, it may not guarantee that a passenger with a mobility  impairment will be able to fly on an aircraft with this type of lavatory  because air carriers sometimes switch aircraft at the last minute without  notice, such as when, for example, an aircraft has a mechanical problem.

While stakeholders described challenges, neither air carriers nor DOT  receive a large number of complaints regarding the lack of lavatories  designed to accommodate passengers who use onboard wheelchairs or  lavatories in general. As we have previously reported, DOT receives and  processes complaints from passengers and uses complaint data to help  identify which carriers to inspect for consumer protection violations.

From 2014 through 2018, DOT received 59,846 complaints about U.S.  carriers. Of these, we reviewed 1,263 complaints related to accessibility,  inadequate facilities, and flight delays and identified 69 complaints about  lavatories in general and 5 about the accessibility of lavatories. Of the 69  lavatory complaints identified:

64 related to non-functioning lavatories (e.g., non-operational or  unclean lavatories, sinks lacking running water, etc.);

5 related to lavatories being inaccessible by persons with disabilities  (e.g., lavatory grab bars at an improper height, passenger using  onboard wheelchair unable to enter lavatory); and

2 related to lavatory size (e.g., lavatory size has been reduced).

We also discussed lavatory-related complaints with the eight selected air  carriers, three of which reported that these complaints made up about 1  percent or less of the total passenger complaints they received in 2018.  Four air carriers reported that lavatory complaints related to accessibility  made up an even smaller portion—around 0.05 percent or less of their  total passenger complaints in 2018.

However, the small number of complaints related to lavatory accessibility  does not necessarily indicate that individuals who use onboard  wheelchairs are not affected by inaccessible aircraft lavatories, as some  may choose not to fly, and others may take precautionary measures as  described above to avoid having to use the aircraft lavatory. Furthermore,  because accessible lavatories are not required on single-aisle aircraft and  there is no expectation that the lavatory would be accessible, passengers  may not see grounds to complain or may not take the time to submit a  complaint. As we have previously reported, complaint data are inherently  limited because, according to academic literature, a substantial portion of  dissatisfied individuals never complain and are therefore not represented  in the complaint data. Finally, when they do complain, their complaints  may not be representative of other individuals.

We also found that there were very few complaints about non-functioning  lavatories. As noted above, DOT received 64 passenger complaints on  non-functioning lavatories. Carrier officials also told us that they have  received few complaints about non-functioning lavatories. According to  the air carrier officials we interviewed, depending on the flight, some  flights may operate with one or more lavatories not functioning. However,  most carrier officials reported that according to data they collect, this  occurred on less than 2 percent of flights. In such instances, some carrier  officials stated they would notify passengers of nonoperational lavatories  to give them the opportunity to use the airport lavatories prior to boarding.  These officials also stated that if all lavatories are inoperable it is the  responsibility of the pilot—in consultation with flight dispatchers—to  decide if the aircraft will take off or, if lavatories become inoperable during  a flight, to divert to an airport other than the destination. Carriers further  noted that flights with no operational lavatories are extremely rare.

DOT Has Introduced Rulemaking and Has Other Efforts Under Way to Help Address Difficulties Faced by Air Travelers with Disabilities

As previously noted, in late 2016, the ACCESS Advisory Committee  reached a consensus on proposed amendments that would require  accessible lavatories on single-aisle aircraft. DOT announced in 2019 that  it would address the issue in rulemaking. On December 16, 2019, DOT  issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to solicit comments on short-term  accessibility improvements on single-aisle aircraft through the installation  of accessibility features within the lavatory, such as assist handles, call  buttons, and lavatory controls, without changing the size of lavatories. In  addition, DOT has announced its intention to issue an advanced notice of  proposed rulemaking to address long-term accessibility improvements,  also addressed by the Advisory Committee, and to solicit comments and  gather information on the costs and benefits of requiring carriers to  increase the size of the single-aisle lavatory on new aircraft models to  enable passengers using an onboard wheelchair to enter and use the  lavatory with an assistant, if necessary.

In addition to the two rulemakings, DOT has recently established another  advisory committee. The ACAA Advisory Committee was created in  response to a requirement in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, has a  2-year charter, and is required to report its findings to both DOT and  Congress on current DOT regulations on barriers to persons with  disabilities who want to travel by air. The ACAA Advisory Committee is  also required to determine the extent to which DOT is addressing those  barriers, recommend improvements to implement the ACAA, and improve  the flying experience for travelers with disabilities. The committee— comprised of members representing aircraft manufacturers, national  disability organizations, air carriers, and airports—plans to hold its first  meeting in early 2020. According to DOT officials, although it is within the  purview of this committee to consider issues regarding accessible  lavatories, it does not plan to do so at the present time given that the two  proposed rulemakings are proceeding and that there is a Congressional  mandate for the committee to report on other issues within 6 months of  the first meeting.

We provided a draft of this report to DOT for review and comment. DOT  provided technical comments, which we incorporated as appropriate.

We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional  committees, DOT, and other interested parties. In addition, the report is  available at no charge on the GAO website at http://www.gao.gov.

If you or your staff have questions concerning this report, please contact  me at (202) 512-2834, or vonaha@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices  of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last  page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to this report  are listed in appendix I.

Appendix I: GAO Contact & Acknowledgements

In addition to the individual named above, other key contributors to this  report were Ed Laughlin, Assistant Director; Martha Chow, Analyst-in- Charge; James Geibel; Geoffrey Hamilton; Elke Kolodinski; Gail Marnik;  Malika Rice; Amy Rosewarne; Travis Schwartz; Pamela Snedden; and  Elizabeth Wood.

Not having a wheelchair-accessible restroom on a plane can make flying difficult for people with reduced mobility. For decades the Department of Transportation has required wheelchair-accessible restrooms on planes with two aisles, but not on those with one. Restrooms on single-aisle planes can be built to accommodate onboard wheelchairs, but many carriers don’t opt for that.

Though DOT receives few complaints about restroom inaccessibility, the agency plans to propose rules requiring carriers to install accessibility features—such as grab bars and call buttons—and to study the costs and benefits of enlarging single-aisle aircraft restrooms.