Brazilian air transport: experiences of elderly passengers
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Proceedings 19th Triennial Congress of the IEA, Melbourne 9-14 August 2015
Brazilian air transport: experiences of elderly passengers
a,b a a
Talita Naiara Rossi da Silva , Jerusa Barbosa Guarda de Souza , Larissa Lunardon Gomes , Julia Pierre
a a
Figueiredo , Nilton Luiz Menegon
a
Industrial Engineering Department, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, BRAZIL
b
Occupational Therapy Department, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, BRAZIL.
Abstract
Population aging has become a global phenomenon, and elderly people are potential air passengers.
However, studies have shown that elderly passengers encounter difficulties during all stages of flight.
The aim of this paper was to understand the difficulties faced by elderly passengers in Brazilian air
transport in order to promote the development of specifications for improvement of airports and aircraft
cabin design to meet the needs of these passengers. This study was based on a survey of 73
Brazilian elderly people conducted in 2013. The results indicate that the overwhelming majority of
respondents said they have experienced transportation barriers. The difficulties these passengers face
include long walking distances and wayfinding signs in the terminals. Moreover, elderly passengers
reported that due to physical limitations they have faced problems during boarding and disembarking,
when going up or down the stairs, and in crowded shuttle buses without enough seats available for all
passengers. In the final stage of the journey, they referred to problems associated with baggage claim,
mainly due to difficulties to retrieve baggage from the carousel, and luggage delay, damage or loss,
which can happen to all kinds of passengers. Inside the aircraft, the main difficulties encountered by
the elderly passengers are similar to those of many users of air transport, such as limited space in the
cabin and small, narrow, and uncomfortable seats. Accordingly, it is necessary to invest in
improvements in the Brazilian air transport in order to adequately meet the needs of elderly
passengers.
Keywords: elderly passengers, air transport, ergonomics
1. Introduction
This study is part of the project entitled “Universal Aircraft Cabin”, which has been carried out through a
partnership between the Federal University of São Carlos Embraer SA and which was designed to
understand the transportation needs of air travelers.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2012), despite the characteristics of each region,
population aging has become a global phenomenon, and the proportion of the world’s population over 60
years is about 11%. The United Nations projections (UN, 2011) show that the number of people aged 60 and
over is expected to more than double, a jump from 784 million in 2011 to 2 billion by 2050.
In Brazil, people aged 60 years or over account for approximately 12% of the population. By 2030, it is
estimated that this age group will account for 14% of the total population and nearly 30% by 2050 (Brazil,
2012).
With respect to the trends in air travel, Henley and Amadeus (2008) emphasized that older people are
among the groups of potential air passengers. However, the physical, physiological, cognitive, and sensory
changes in later years can limit their experience in air travel since most of the transportation needs of these
passengers are not addressed at all.
It is expected that the number of older passengers will increase, mainly because future generations of
older adults will be healthier and more familiar with air transport. However, elderly passengers have already
faced multiple barriers during all stages of air travels (Wolfe, 2003; Chang, Chen, 2012).
The first challenge faced by elderly passengers is the access to the airport, which depends on the type
of transport chosen, but it may include long distances to departure gates, boarding and unboarding a shuttle
bus, and transporting luggage (Wolfe, 2003; Suen, Wolfe, 2006).
At the airport, another challenge is wayfinding. Elderly people have more difficulties to understand the
meaning and terminology of directional signs, to perceive colors, and to read small print and three-
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Proceedings 19th Triennial Congress of the IEA, Melbourne 9-14 August 2015
dimensional maps. Other problems are the long lines at check-in and airport security and the lack of
comfortable seating (Wolfe, 2003; Suen, Wolfe, 2006).
The automated boarding pass and check-in machines and vending machines also present difficulties for
elderly passengers since these machines lack standardization among airlines. Their use requires manual
dexterity, touchscreen familiarity, and inserting a credit card into a slot. In addition, the understanding of
displayed information may be hindered due to the size, color, and brightness of characters on the screen. It
is worth mentioning that motor, sensory, perceptual, and cognitive functions may decline with age, which
may impair the performance of certain activities during the trip (Wolfe, 2003; Suen, Wolfe, 2006).
When going to the aircraft through terminals, the difficulties are related to long distances, use of moving
walkways, stairs, escalators, and elevators. When there are vehicles available for the transport of
passengers, boarding and unboarding these vehicles can also be challenging for elderly passengers. When
going through the airport security process, the problems are related to standing in long lines, taking personal
items from their carry-on baggage and putting them in the trays and the bag on the conveyor belt for x-ray,
and finally walking through the body scanners (Wolfe, 2003; Suen, Wolfe , 2006).
Boarding and exiting the aircraft using passenger boarding bridges can pose some difficulties for elderly
passengers such as the ramps or insufficient illumination, compared with that of the terminal or inside the
aircraft cabin, which may increase the risk of falls. On the other hand, when there is no boarding bridge,
these passengers have difficulty climbing and/or descending stairs, especially when carrying luggage. In
addition, the background noise in the terminal can make it difficult for elderly people to hear the
announcements properly (Wolfe, 2003; Suen, Wolfe, 2006).
Upon arrival at the destination airport, their difficulties are related to the likelihood of less familiarity with
the airport and a lack of immediate instructions to the baggage claim area or to exit the terminal. In addition,
they will need to retrieve their checked baggage, but they may have difficulties finding the correct carousel
number, waiting standing until bags arrive, and pulling bags off the conveyor belt (especially for those with
declined manual dexterity, grip strength, and balance). Another issue is reading and filling out forms, which
are often printed in very small fonts and that must be completed standing without a safe and appropriate
place for their baggage (Wolfe, 2003; Suen, Wolfe, 2006).
Inside the cabin, stowing and retrieving carry-on items from the overhead compartments are difficult
tasks for elderly or disabled passengers (Wolfe, 2003; Suen, Wolfe, 2006).
During the different stages of air travel, these passengers have many difficulties handling documents
and the several transfers during the journey either from one vehicle to another, or from a wheelchair into
their seat. In the case of passengers using mobility aid devices, such as wheelchairs, there is still concern
about the safety and conditions of transporting these devices (Wolfe, 2003; Suen, Wolfe, 2006).
In a study carried out at an airport in Taiwan, Chang and Chen (2012) found that elderly passengers are
less satisfied with the followings items: food, information disclosure, lavatories on board, and distance
between the seats and the lavatory.
According to Howland et al. (2012), due to the high flow of passengers thorough airports, the rate of falls
is significantly high, and it tend to increase since this kind of accident is associated with aging. These
authors argue that the elderly are especially at risk for this type of injury in airports, mainly in escalators. 79%
reported falls involved people 45 years of age or more, and 43% were 65 years or older.
Considering the demographic trends and the transportation barriers aforementioned, as well as the lack
of studies on this topic in Brazil, the aim of this paper was to understand the difficulties faced by elderly
passengers in Brazilian air transport in order to promote the development of specifications for improvement
of airports and aircraft cabin design to meet the needs of elderly passengers.
2. Method
This study, with a predominantly qualitative approach, focuses on the needs of elderly air passengers and
related issues such as travel habits and transportation barriers faced during the entire journey. The survey
was conducted between April and November 2013 using a web-based questionnaire and face-to-face
interviews at a technology fair and in Brazilian airports and using self-administered questionnaires on board
of aircrafts. Regardless of the context and data collection method, the research instrument used was the
same.
The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions divided into three parts. The first nine questions were
about demographic characteristics (gender, age, weight, height, level of education, disability, and use of
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Proceedings 19th Triennial Congress of the IEA, Melbourne 9-14 August 2015
mobility aid devices). Two other questions were related to general travelling habits, such as purpose of travel,
modes of transport used, and the frequency of air travel. In the third part, there were four questions about air
transport experiences; among them one addressed the difficulties encountered in different phases of the
journey, and other was about strategies, satisfaction, and suggestions for improvement. These last three
questions were not addressed in the present study.
A total of 73 elderly people aged 60 years or more participated in this study. Sampling followed the
concept of saturation during the analysis of the questionnaires. The participation of all passengers was
voluntary and defined after the presentation of the research project and signing the principle of free, prior,
and informed consent (FPIC) agreement, as approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the
Federal University of São Carlos.
Data analysis included a descriptive analysis of the passenger and travel characteristics. In order to
detail the difficulties reported by the respondents, a content analysis was conducted, more specifically a
thematic analysis (Bardin, 2011). These data were initially separated into databases according to the context
and data collection method. The classification categories were defined based on these data. The responses
in each category were summed, and the databases were finally integrated.
3. Results
3.1 Socio-demographic characteristics of elderly passengers
The socio-demographic characteristics shown in Table 1 are gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and level
of education. Data related to disability and use of mobility aid devices are presented later.
More than half of the participants were men (62%), and the passengers’ age ranged between 60 and 69
years, and there were no significant differences between the genders. A total of 57% of the participants were
university or college graduates or held post-graduate degrees, indicating high level of education. With regard
to the BMI, it can be observed that most of the participants are above the healthy range, and 25% can be
considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30).
Table 1. Socio-demographic characteristics of the elderly passengers
Socio-demographic Male Female Both
characteristics (n=45) (n=28) (n=73)
60-69 70-79 80+ 60-69 70-79 80+ 60-69 70-79 80+
%
Age
60-69 years 72 - - 72 - - 71 - -
70-79 years - 22 - - 21 - - 22 -
80 years and older - - 6 - - 7 - - 7
BMI
Less or equal to 25 16 9 4 18 7 4 16 8 4
Greater than 25 and less than 30 29 9 - 32 7 4 30 8 1
Greater than or equal to 30 20 2 2 14 7 - 18 4 1
Not informed 7 2 - 7 - - 7 3 -
Educational level
None - - - - - 4 - - 1
Incomplete Elementary and/or 4 2 4 18 4 - 10 3 3
Middle School
Complete High School 13 7 - 11 4 4 12 5 1
Incomplete College or Higher 9 - 2 - 4 - 5 1 1
Education
College/University Degree 29 9 - 29 11 - 29 10 -
Graduate Degree 16 4 - 14 - - 15 3 -
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Proceedings 19th Triennial Congress of the IEA, Melbourne 9-14 August 2015
With regard to disability, 25% (n = 18) of the respondents had some kind of disability; among them 14%
were men and 11% women, and 19% had some form of physical disability, 4% had visual impairment, and
1% had physical and visual disabilities.
As for the mobility aid devices, 19% (n = 14) of the respondents reported using some device; among
them are the manual wheelchair (7%, n = 5), lower limb prosthesis (4%, n = 3), cane and crutch (both 3%,
n = 2), and motorized wheelchair (1%, n = 1).
3.2 Travel characteristics of elderly passengers
As show in Table 2 below, elderly passengers travel mainly for leisure purposes (34%), followed by business
and leisure (26%), and business (25%). Among women, the main purpose of travel is leisure (29%), and
among men is business and leisure (29%), followed by business only (27%).
Overall, their frequency of air travel is relatively high since 64% make more than 3 trips per year.
Table 2. Travel characteristics
Travel characteristics Male Female Both
(n=45) (n=28) (n=73)
60-69 70-79 80+ 60-69 70-79 80+ 60-69 70-79 80+
%
Purpose of Travel
Business 27 2 2 18 - - 23 1 1
Leisure 9 13 2 29 18 7 16 14 4
Health Tourism 2 - - 4 - - 3 - -
Business and Leisure 29 4 2 4 4 - 19 4 3
Leisure and Health Tourism - 2 - 7 - - 3 1 -
Other 2 - - 4 4 - 3 - -
Not informed 2 - - 7 - - 4 - -
Frequency of Air Travel
Less than once a year 4 9 - 11 7 - 7 8 -
1-2 times a year 9 4 4 14 4 7 11 4 5
3-5 times a year 13 4 2 32 4 - 21 4 1
More than 5 times a year 44 4 - 14 7 - 33 5 -
3.3 Elderly passengers: Air travel difficulties
The following data will be presented considering the subgroups in the sample: 60% (n = 44) are non-obese
elderly people without disabilities; 16% (n = 12) are non-obese elderly people with some kind of disability;
15% are obese elderly people without disability (n = 11) and 8% (n = 6) are obese elderly people with
disability.
3.3.1 Difficulties related to airports
A total of 73% of the elderly passengers encountered difficulties the terminals, which are presented in Table
3 and classified according to the airport infrastructure and operation aspects.
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Proceedings 19th Triennial Congress of the IEA, Melbourne 9-14 August 2015
Table 3. Difficulties related to airport infrastructure
Difficulties Elderly Elderly+ Elderly+ Elderly+ General
disability obesity dis.+ob.
(n=44) (n=12) (n=11) (n=6) (n=73)
%
Airport Infrastructure
Difficulty in using stairs, ramps, and elevators 14 17 9 - 12
Long walking distances in the airport 11 25 - 17 12
Difficulty with wayfinding signs in airports
14 17 - - 11
Lack of seating places close to the service desks 9 8 9 - 8
and to the access corridors
Lack of adapted restrooms - 8 - 17 3
Lack of parking space 5 - - - 3
Lack of accessibility - 25 - - 1
Lack of wheelchairs - 8 - - 1
Operation
Waiting lines 18 8 9 17 15
Lack of or inaccurate information 9 - 36 - 11
Lack of trained customer service staff 9 8 18 - 10
Poor hygiene and sanitation in the restrooms 5 - - - 3
Delays - - 18 - 3
Lack of organization to meet especial passenger - 8 - 17 3
needs
Denial of age privilege 2 - - - 1
Non-properly identified staff 2 - - - 1
Automated check-in - - 9 - 1
Going through the airport security process - - - - 1
Understanding and hearing information and 2 - - - 1
announcements properly
The results corroborate those found by Wolfe (2003), Suen and Wolfe (2006) and Chang and Chen
(2012), who also highlighted the difficulties encountered by elderly people using regular stairs or escalators
ramps, and elevators, and walking long distances in airports added to the lack of seating places in these
paths and wayfinding; therefore, passengers consider moving around the airport
very confusing.
Wolfe (2003) and Suen and Wolfe (2006) also highlighted other difficulties faced by elderly passengers
in the Brazilian air transport, such as the use of automated ticket and check-in machines and going through
security procedures, which requires carry-on baggage handling and the removal of personal belongings such
as belt.
Furthermore, passengers indicated some difficulties related to waiting in long lines, lack of or inaccurate
information, and lack of trained customer service staff, which lead to fail meeting passenger needs and to
conform to the Brazilian norms of age privileges. These issues can also be present in other phases of the air
travel such as boarding and disembarking.
3.3.2 Difficulties in boarding and disembarking
The difficulties faced by elderly passengers during boarding and disembarking are related to the airport
infrastructure and operations, as shown in Table 4. The respondents also reported difficulties related to the
aircraft cabin, which are presented in Table 5, in the following section. A total of 68% and 66% of the
respondents reported having some difficulties with these factors, respectively.
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Proceedings 19th Triennial Congress of the IEA, Melbourne 9-14 August 2015
Table 4. Difficulties related to boarding and disembarking
Difficulties Elderly Elderly+ Elderly+ Elderly+ General
disability obesity dis.+ob.
(n=44) (n=12) (n=11) (n=6) (n=73)
%
Airport Infrastructure
Lack of adequate equipment for boarding and 7 8 45 - 12
disembarking (lack of boarding bridges)
Not enough seats in the shuttle bus that 9 25 - - 10
take passengers from the terminals to the aircraft
Moving around the airport can be confusing 9 - 9 - 7
Retrieve checked baggage from the carousel 7 8 - - 5
Shuttle bus steps are too high 5 - - 17 4
Boarding from remote gates without a boarding 5 - - - 3
bridge
Unsafe boarding stairs 5 - - - 3
Walking Long distances in the airport - - - 33 3
Lack of seating places in the departure lounge 2 - - - 1
Operation
Boarding/disembarking from remote gates: 18 42 36 100 31
difficulty going up the stairs
Boarding/disembarking from remote gates: need 30 - - - 18
for shuttle bus
Delay in releasing checked baggage 25 - 9 - 16
Frequent changes in the departure gate and 14 - - 17 10
baggage carousel number
Lack of or inaccurate information 7 - 18 - 7
Denial of age privilege 5 17 9 - 7
They have to be manually carried - - 18 33 5
Delayed disembarking - 17 18 - 5
Lack of trained customer service staff 5 8 - - 4
Baggage lost or damaged 7 - - - 4
Long lines 2 - - - 1
Delayed boarding 2 - - - 1
Lack of privilege
seats in the aircraft - 8 - - 1
Lack of full disembarking instructions - - 9 - 1
Lack of baggage assistance 2 - - - 1
With regard to boarding and disembarking, the infrastructure issues are mainly related to the lack of
boarding bridges in some Brazilian airports. However, the respondents was also reported it as an operational
issue since boarding and disembarking using remote gates can be an airline choice, which creates great
difficulty for elderly passengers because it involves going up or down stairs, especially when carrying
luggage.
In addition, when boarding and disembarking from remote gates, i.e., without boarding bridges, the
passengers are transported from the terminals to the aircraft by a shuttle bus, and older people have
difficulty boarding and unboarding the bus, mainly because the steps are too high and because there are not
enough seats in the bus, which is always crowded.
3.3.3 Difficulties related to the aircraft cabin
A total of 71% of the elderly passengers reported difficulties related to the aircrafts. These difficulties are
mainly associated with: limited legroom and limited space in the cabin (41%); inadequate seats, which are
too narrow, have small recline angle, and lack footrest (40%); height and space of overhead compartments,
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Proceedings 19th Triennial Congress of the IEA, Melbourne 9-14 August 2015
which have limited space to stow carry-on items and are too high (16%); and on-board lavatories (10%), as
shown in Table 5
Table 5. Difficulties related to the aircraft cabin
Difficulties Elderly Elderly+ Elderly+ Elderly+ General
disability obesity dis.+ob.
(n=44) (n=12) (n=11) (n=6) (n=73)
%
Aircraft cabin
Small, narrow, and uncomfortable seats 32 58 27 33 36
Limited legroom 27 42 18 33 29
Limited space and height of overhead 16 8 18 33 16
compartments make it difficult to stow and retrieve
carry-on items
Limited space in the cabin 9 25 18 - 12
Lavatory accessibility and space 7 - 18 33 10
Aisles are too narrow 2 8 9 33 7
Inadequate seats without footrest 2 - 9 - 3
Cabin light and temperature control 2 - 9 - 3
Sense of insecurity due to the use of electronic 5 - - - 3
devices by other passengers
Stair steps are too high 5 - - - 3
Seats have small recline angle 2 - - - 1
Ease of use and easy access to the lavatory, mainly due to its limited space, were also mentioned by
Chang and Chen (2012) as one of the factors that causes dissatisfaction among elderly passengers.
4. Conclusions
Older people may face a range of challenges during a journey including negative experiences at airports and
on board of aircrafts. However, the difficulties associated with the airports were the most frequently factors
mentioned by the respondents, and they can hamper the smooth running of the journey in terms of
performing the necessary procedures before departure as well as boarding and disembarking the aircraft
These factors involve infrastructure and operators of airports and airlines.
The survey was completed, but this research will continue to be carried out to include observations of
air travel in real situations during the year of 2015 in order to deepen the understanding of the barriers
encountered by older passengers and make recommendations for improvement of terminals and aircraft
cabin accessibility following the regulated procedures, according to the Brazilian norms established to meet
the needs of passengers.
The collaborative work of different players is of paramount importance for the improvement of end-to-
end travel experiences, otherwise elderly passengers will have to deal with difficult situations in which their
needs are neglected.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the passengers who participated in this study and to the National Civil Aviation
Agency (ANAC), the São Paulo State Secretariat for the Rights of People with Disabilities, and the Brazilian
Paralympic Committee for the support during the collection of data in airports and flights. The authors also
gratefully acknowledge the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) for
the PhD scholarship granted to the first author and to the Minas Gerais State Research Foundation (Fapemig)
for the generous financial assistance to support attendance at an important conference.
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Proceedings 19th Triennial Congress of the IEA, Melbourne 9-14 August 2015 References Bardin, L. 2011. Análise de conteúdo. São Paulo: Edições 70. Brasil. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatísticas. 2012. “Síntese de Indicadores Sociais: uma análise das condições de vida da população brasileira”. Estudos e Pesquisas – Informação Sociodemográfica e Econômica, 29. Rio de Janeiro. Chang, F.C. and Chen, C. F. 2012. “Service needs of elderly air passenger”. Journal of Air Transport Management, 18: 26-29. Henley Centre Headlightvision & Amadeus. 2008. “Future Travel Tribes 2020”. Report for the Air Travel Industry. Accessed 08 July, 2013. http://www.amadeus.com. Howland, J., Bibi, S.; English, J., Dyer, S.; Peterson, E.W. 2012. “Older Adult Falls at a Metropolitan Airport: 2009–2010”. Journal of Safety Research, 43 (2): 133-136. Suen, S. and Wolfe, H. 2006. “Accessible Air Travel for 21st Century”. First National Conference on Mobility for All, New Delhi, India. Accessed 10 December, 2012. http://www.elderairtravel.com/eldertravel.htm . United Nations (UN). Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. 2011. World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision, Volume II: Demographic Profiles 2011. Accessed 12 November, 2012. http://esa.un.org. World Health Organization (WHO). 2012. World Health Statistics 2012. Accessed 12 November, 2012. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/EN_WHS2012_Full.pdf. Wolfe, H. P. 2003. “Accommodating Aging Population Needs in Airport Terminals”. Volpe Transportation Center, Massachusetts. Accessed 10 December, 2012. http://www.elderairtravel.com. 8
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