Brussels, 25/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - Airports Council International (ACI Europe) has welcomed the entry into force of new EU rules enhancing the right of disabled and elderly passengers when travelling by air. The rules require European airports to offer a specific range of services to passengers with reduced mobility like transfer from airlines to airports (see EUROPE 9710). ACI says the rules will 'allow airports to better plan and control the services offered.' as such services will now be the exclusive responsibility of airports (providing services to enable reduced mobility passengers equivalent access to airport facilities as is available for the able-bodied. In a press release, ACI Director General Olivier Jankovec commented: 'Airports are essential links in the mobility chain that everyone should have access to on equal grounds. Over the past two years, ACI Europe has been working on an ongoing basis to disseminate the requirements of the regulation to our 440 member airports and help them sort out implementation issues. The feedback has been extremely positive and many European airports have already been providing the required assistance, having actually anticipated the entry into force of the new rules.' Communication lists have been drawn up between travel agents or airlines and airports to make it possible to supply timely details of the arrival of persons requiring assistance so the airport can provide specialist equipment to transfer the passengers to the plain, logistics and communication and personnel, etc. The new EU rules came into force on Saturday 26 July 2008. (A.By. /transl fl)