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Persons with Reduced Mobility

The Irish Aviation Authority is the National Enforcement Body for EC 1107/2006 which concerns the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air.

In July 2008 a European law came into effect establishing rights for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. This law obliges tour operators, air carriers and airport management bodies to provide high-quality and practical help to disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility so that they have the same travel opportunities as other citizens.

The law recognises that there are many types of disability and that the causes of reduced mobility can vary from person to person. They can include obvious difficulties e.g. walking difficulties whether due to injury or age etc. and difficulties that are less obvious e.g. vision or hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities etc. The rules state that any person who suffers from a disability – whether temporary or permanent and regardless of the reason – is entitled to certain types of assistance when taking a flight. Most importantly any assistance provided is free of charge to the passenger.

The law applies in all of the EU Member States and in Norway so if you require help you can expect to receive it when travelling through airports in any of these countries and to receive it on-board all flights departing from these countries. You are also entitled to be helped on all flights arriving into any of these countries if your flight is operated by a European air carrier e.g. Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Air France, Iberia, British Airways etc.

Air carriers and airport management bodies have the largest roles to play in implementing these laws. To ensure that you have a clear understanding as to who is responsible for assisting you at any given part of your journey, please read the following sections carefully. You can access the information by either clicking on the links below or by using the buttons on the left hand side of this screen.

Make a complaint

Does your complaint relate to the assistance received by you (a disabled person/ person with reduced mobility) when booking your flight, at the airport or onboard the aircraft?

If your complaint relates to the assistance you (a disabled person/ person with reduced mobility) received when making your reservation, travelling through the airport, or on-board your flight, then you must first bring it to the attention of the relevant party (e.g. the tour operator, the airport management body or the air carrier). If your complaint is not resolved at that stage, then you should escalate it to the appropriate enforcement body.

So how do you know who the appropriate enforcement body is? Well, if your complaint relates to the assistance provided by either a tour operator or an airport management body, then the correct enforcement body is the one based in the EU Member State (or Iceland or Norway: Switzerland does not yet have a desgnated enforcement body) where they are located. So for example, if your complaint related to the assistance received when making a reservation via an Irish tour operator or if it related to the assistance received at Dublin airport then you should contact us. However if your complaint related to the assistance received at Frankfurt airport, you should contact our equivalent in Germany: the LBA.

But if your complaint relates to the assistance received on-board your flight then you should contact the enforcement body in the EU Member State (or Iceland or Norway) from which the flight departed.

Remember that as this is a European law where your flight departs from outside the EU (or Iceland or Norway), then the destination determines which authority you should contact. For such flights, the legislation will only apply if the flight:

  • arrives into airports within the EU (or Iceland or Norway); and
  • is operated by Community-licensed carriers (e.g. Aer Lingus, Air France, Iberia, Alitalia etc.).
So for example if your complaint relates to the assistance received on-board a flight which departed from Paris, the appropriate enforcement body is the one located in France. However if for example your complaint relates to the assistance received on-board an Aer Lingus from Boston to Shannon, the appropriate body is this Office (as Shannon airport is located in Ireland).

If you require any assistance please contact us at +353 1 6031100.

How to make a complaint 

To make a complaint, register with the IAA’s online customer platform (MySRS). Once registered, complete the online complaint form. The following video will help you understand the registration process.


Make a complaint

Register and make a complaint on our customer portal


EU/EEA Enforcement Bodies

To see the full list of enforcement bodies for complaints relating to the assistance given to disabled persons/ persons with reduced mobility click here.