Aeroporti di Roma’s company ADR Assistance was founded on July 26, 2008, to comply with EC Regulation No. 1107/2006, which introduced new rules for ground assistance to passengers with reduced mobility (PRM) at airports in EU countries.
The staff of ADR Assistance is trained to provide assistance services to passengers with reduced mobility in the best and most comfortable way, through the learning of physiology notions for lifting the person, first aid, and techniques for operating all the equipment that serves the passengers.
ADR Assistance’s services are free of charge, to be requested through the airline.
The company also includes operators who can communicate using sign language.
The airport offers assistance modulated according to the type of disability coding at an international level by IATA:
- visually impaired or blind passengers (code BLND);
- passengers with hearing impairments (code DEAF);
- passengers with intellectual or behavioural disabilities (code DPNA);
- passengers with various levels of motor disability:
- people who cannot travel long distances; they can go up and down stairs; independent on board the aircraft and on short distances (code WCHR);
- people who cannot travel long distances and cannot go up and down stairs; independent on board the aircraft and on short distances (code WCHS);
- people who are completely immobile and non self-sufficient with the need for total assistance (code WCHC).
Particular attention is given to hidden disabilities. For example, with the project "Autism, traveling through the airport," developed by ENAC in collaboration with sector associations and ADR Assistance, the company's staff supports the family and/or companion in the preparation phase and the preliminary phase of the air travel.
Since the beginning of 2024, more than 310,000 people have been assisted, with about 48,000 in September alone, which recorded the absolute record of 1905 passengers assisted in one day.
