China Southern Airlines promotes inclusion in all aspects of the customer’s journey. We are committed to identifying and improving barriers at all our stations. This barrier free commitment includes customers and employees who travel or work at China Southern Airlines.  We currently use data from ourcomplaint tracking system to identify areas of improvement.   

Identified Barriers

Customers

Failure to provide assistance / Mobility impairments.

Wheelchairs are not always available for the flights particularly our code share flights.

Lack of consistent communications throughout the journey regarding request for assistance.

Employees

Lack of communication tool to identify and report areas of improvement.

Actions

Continued improvement – Customers

Engagement with customers pre-travel and post-travel who used our airport assistance service to review their experience.

Ongoing training of airport ground staff to improve the boarding of the aircraft process.

Vendor review of training material related to the assistance of customers with disabilities.

Continued improvement – Employees

Create engagement platforms for employees who have qualified disabilities to identify barriers and make recommendations.

Required bi-annual training for any employee that conducts hiring to ensure all applicants are provided with the same opportunities and understand that China Southern is a barrier free workplace.

Short Term – Customers

Review of policies and procedures related to pre-travel booking / reservations assistance.

Review of policies and procedures related to at airport assistance / airport agent and ramp operations.

Review and data tracking of all customers requesting special assistance – what type of requests are more common.

Short Term – Employees

Review current HR polices related to the hiring of employees to ensure China Southern Airlines is following the current national standards forPeople's Republic of China and also Canadian employment standards.

Create on our internal intranet a webpage that outlines our commitment to an inclusive and barrier free work environment. To include links to communicate with China Southern Airlines management team.

Long Term – Customers

Establish a standard communications process with an international disability organization for all types of impairments including those disabilities that are unapparent.

Create an internal working group of airport managers who will focus on establishing a “Customer Lead Focus Group” within their airport station to identify opportunities for improvement on the handling of assistive devices.

Create a “Vendor Requirements” video for current and new vendors who may come in contact with customers with disabilities that outline the commitment that China Southern Airlines has for the assistance of customers with disabilities.  

Update our technology that tracks and trends customers with disabilities data to ensure we identify and action any barriers that limit travel by type. This includes Visual, Hearing, Cognitive, Mobility.

Long Term – Employee

Create an internal “focus group” of employees to meet annually to review current hiring policies and procedures.

Annual recognition program for employee/vendor who provided outstanding service to our customers with disabilities.