BIIB - Biogen and Delta Flight Products to Collaborate with Advocates and Patients to Inform the Future of Accessible Air Travel | Benzinga
- Upcoming community events will inform plans to create more equitable flying experiences for passengers with reduced mobility
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and ATLANTA, June 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) and Delta Flight Products (DFP), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines established to create aircraft interior solutions to airlines around the world, announced that the companies will collaborate to inform future enhancements to the air travel journey for passengers with reduced mobility. In the United States alone, approximately 5.5 million individuals rely on wheelchairs for mobility.1
"Cure SMA and the SMA community have been advocating to make air travel safer and more accessible for individuals with disabilities, especially passengers who use a power wheelchair. We are grateful that Biogen and Delta Flight Products will help raise awareness about the experiences of those traveling with reduced mobility and develop possible solutions to help them travel with ease. This is a meaningful step toward allowing a passenger to use their own wheelchair as their airplane seat," said Kenneth Hobby, President, Cure SMA.
The companies will connect with individuals living with rare disease mobility restrictions at community events to listen and learn about their travel experiences and specific needs. Through these interactions, Biogen and DFP aim to better understand the experiences of passengers with reduced mobility, identify gaps and unmet needs in travel accessibility, and inform future innovations and tools aimed at creating a more equitable flying experience.
"Biogen has long championed independence for people living with rare, neuromuscular diseases, which is why we are passionate about helping advance travel accessibility for individuals with reduced mobility," said Kristen Fortino, Head of the U.S. Rare Disease Franchise at Biogen North America. "We are honored to introduce Delta Flight Products to the communities we serve and work together to better inform innovations that are equitable to travelers of various abilities."
The first activation of the collaboration between Biogen and DFP will occur at Cure SMA's 2024 Annual SMA Conference taking place June 6-9, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Insights gained from patients and advocates will be summarized and shared publicly with the community.
During the event, people living with rare neuromuscular diseases will have the opportunity to learn about DFP's first-of-its-kind airplane seat prototype that aims to allow customers to remain in their ...