To contribute to more accessible aviation, Avianca closed 2024 with 48 aircraft equipped with a Braille system to facilitate the experience of visually impaired travelers.
The announcement was made on World Braille Day, as part of the “Avianca Accessible” program, which seeks to eliminate barriers in aviation by adapting the airline’s service to the needs of people with disabilities, making their experience simpler and more comfortable, and bringing Avianca teams even closer to their customers.
The Braille project began in 2023 as an idea from Avianca's maintenance team. Thus, during the second half of this year, a pilot test was carried out with the installation on six A320 aircraft that cover national and international routes of new queue markers with greater contrast and visibility of numbers for people with low vision, as well as Braille numbering for blind people.
The Braille supplies were designed jointly and under the guidance of the National Institute for the Blind (INCI) and were manufactured at the Rionegro Aeronautical Maintenance Center (MRO) under high quality and detail protocols.
“An aviation experience that is more for everyone, that is our goal as a company and we have worked tirelessly to make it a reality and to make more and more disabled travelers enjoy a comfortable travel experience adapted to their needs. In 2024, we will close with 48 aircraft in the A320 fleet equipped with Braille for visually impaired travelers, a very important milestone if we analyze the entire process involved in transforming an aircraft to make it more accessible. It is a big challenge and we are willing to continue to achieve our goal,” said Michael Swiatek, Chief Accessibility Officer of Abra.
By 2025, the airline plans to complete the installation of this system in the entire A320 fleet, in addition to the inclusion of Braille signage inside the bathrooms of its aircraft, covering the domestic and international route network and reaching the largest number of travelers possible through this initiative. With these actions, Avianca reaffirms its commitment to lead a transformation in the airline industry towards a more inclusive and accessible travel experience for all.
Source: Avianca.