New Collins device eases flights for wheelchair users

Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, is unveiling a device this week that will allow passengers in motorized wheelchairs to more easily board and exit airplanes.

The device will be introduced at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, that runs May 28 to 30.

The device will allow passengers with reduced mobility “an in-flight experience more equivalent to that of able-bodied passengers,” the company said in a news release.

The design requires installation of a restraint system at the front of a narrow-body aircraft to accommodate a wheelchair user. Putting the wheelchair in place is simple and can be carried out by crew members, the company said.

The system uses seat belts to secure the wheelchair and passenger. The device goes into unused cabin space and does not require seat removal or modification, the company said.

The system is compatible with most WC19 and ISO 7176-19 transport-certified powered wheelchairs.

“Enabling motorized wheelchair users to remain in their chair is imperative to providing a more equitable and dignified air travel experience to the millions of people who rely on personal mobility devices in their everyday lives,” said Cynthia Muklevicz, vice president of customer and business development for Collins Aerospace.

“We're confident this ... will help eliminate barriers, opening greater possibilities to a wider population to more conveniently experience the excitement and necessity of air travel."

Boarding and deplaning are also simplified, reducing the risk of personal injury and discomfort associated with transporting individuals in and out of their wheelchairs. The system also reduces instances of mishandled wheelchairs during the check-in, handling and stowage processes.

In recent tests at the National Institute of Aviation Research, the boarding process with the Collins device was akin to the average ground transportation experience, the company stated.

Collins Aerospace is the largest private employer in Cedar Rapids. The company has 80,000 employees worldwide. RTX has 185,000 employees around the world in its three businesses — Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. The company, headquartered in Arlington, Va., had 2023 sales of $69 billion.