Axiomatic Design to improve PRM airport assistance

Competition in the air transport market in recent years has prompted companies to search for products and services increasingly innovative and, at the same time, the decrease in development timing and the creation of resources devoted to the study of original technical solutions. One emerging important issue is to facilitate air travel for people with disabilities, elder and dependent people, setting the primary objective of preventing the emergence and spread of new barriers. This aspect is important both for the introduction of several mandatory requirements (rules, laws and regulations) and the increasing market share of this people category due to the aging of population. In this paper it is analyzed the study of the flow of PRM (Passengers with Reduced Mobility) departing, arriving and transiting through an airport terminal. The specific case study is based on the management process of passengers with special assistance for a major Italian tourist airport. The Axiomatic Design method is used to link the customers needs with all the process elements and boundaries: the infrastructure aspects, the limits imposed by security and the availability of appropriate resources (personnel and equipment). Finally some improvement suggestions are made to optimize the passage through the terminal and to ensure full accessibility of the considered environments.