Assistance from Airlines
Booking your flight
The Irish Aviation Authority recommends passengers request their special assistance with the airline at the booking stage. If this is not possible, passengers should book their special assistance as soon as they become aware that they will require it to travel.
- If you request help more than 48hrs before your scheduled departure time, the airport management body is obliged to ensure that you receive it.
- If you give less than 48hrs notice then the airport management body is required to make every effort to help you, but assistance cannot be guaranteed where insufficient notice is provided.
The airline you are booking with will specify an email address or a telephone number which you can use to contact them and explain your requirements. Alternatively, you may be able to book assistance through the online booking process.
Important: Your air carrier will then notify the airport management bodies on your behalf.
The IAA recommends that you give as much information as possible to your air carrier at this stage to avoid any issues on the day of travel.
For wheelchairs, we recommend providing at least the following:
- The make;
- The model of the wheelchair;
- The dimensions of your wheelchair (at height and when folded);
- The UN number of the battery which powers it.
If the nature of your disability is quite severe and the air carrier has concerns about your safety on-board, it may require you to travel with someone who is capable of helping you during the flight. However the person accompanying you will be required to pay for their flight as normal.
Remember that under the rules, airlines can only refuse your reservation if:
- they have a valid safety reason for doing so; or
- the size of the aircraft doors would make boarding physically impossible.
If your airline refuses your reservation, then it should make reasonable efforts to propose an alternative to you. It should also immediately explain why it has refused you and if you ask for this information in writing, you are entitled to receive it within 5 working days.
Contacting your Airline
Most airlines will have details of how to contact them in order to request assistance on their websites.
It is important that you clearly communicate your booking reference and flight details as well as relevant information about any medical or mobility equipment you wish to bring with you when making your request.
On-board the aircraft
The airport management body is responsible for helping you into your seat and for storing your hand-baggage.
From then until the time you are ready to disembark the aircraft after the flight, it is your airline that is responsible for helping you if you need assistance.
Seating
Airlines must comply with other safety laws and requirements
which influence the seating available to persons with reduced mobility and
disabled persons and these requirements can vary from carrier to carrier.
Ideally you should speak to your airline at the time of booking to ensure
that they can provide the seating which best meets your needs.
All passengers seats are not usually guaranteed and most airlines will
not allow PRMs or persons with disabilities to occupy emergency exit seats.
If, at the time of booking, your air carrier informed you that in
light of the nature of your disability, you were required to be accompanied by
someone who could help you during the flight, then it will try to ensure that
the accompanying person is sitting beside you on-board although this is not
guaranteed.
Assistance Dogs
If you need the help of a recognised assistance dog, your airline must allow the animal to travel with you in the cabin provided it complies with all aspects of the ‘Pet Passport’ Rules.
The Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine is responsible for administering the ‘Pet Passport’ Rules in Ireland. It explains that recognised assistance dogs means guide dogs or other assistance dogs who are specifically trained to assist a wide range of disabled persons with every day tasks. It also advises that guide dogs must be trained by an organisation that is accepted by, and affiliated to, the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) and assistance dogs must be trained by an organisation affiliated with Assistance Dogs International (ADI).
For more information about the ‘Pet Passport’ scheme, please click here.
Mobility & Medical Equipment
In addition to medical equipment, the airline must allow you
to bring up to two pieces of mobility equipment with you e.g. electric
wheelchairs, scooters etc. These will generally be stowed in the aircraft hold.
As mentioned in the ‘Booking your Flight’ section above, you should provide as much information about your equipment to your airline as possible. Airlines must comply with other laws regarding safety and the carriage of dangerous goods and it needs to be sure that your equipment would not breach these laws. You should be aware that the rules relating to safety on-board an aircraft take precedence over individual requirements. Therefore, an air carrier will not obliged to accommodate mobility or medical equipment if it is not authorised to do so by its safety regulator.
However, under Regulation (EC) 1107/2006, if your mobility equipment is damaged or lost while being transported by the airport or the airline, passengers have certain entitlements. Passengers are entitled to compensation (in line with National and International law).
Please contact the IAA if you have any questions or for advice about mobility equipment which was damaged during your air travel.
Toilet Facilities
The airline is required to help you to reach the on-board toilet facilities if the need arises. However you must be in a position to use the facilities yourself.
Information
Your airline will communicate any essential information about the flight to you either verbally, in writing or in another format which is more suitable for you.
Complaints
If you have a complaint about any aspect of the information or assistance provided to you by your air carrier, then you must first bring it to their attention. If your air carrier does not resolve the complaint to your satisfaction, then you can escalate it to the appropriate enforcement body. The full list of EU National Enforcement Bodies can be found here.