Passengers with reduced mobility may apply for assistance, provided that the conditions laid down in EU regulation 1107/2006, and specifically the necessity of the prior application, have been met.
a) Definition
A “passenger with reduced mobility” means any person whose mobility is reduced when using transport because of any physical disability (sensory or locomotory, permanent or temporary), intellectual impairment, age or any other cause of disability, and whose situation needs special attention and adaptation to the person’s needs of the services made available to all passengers.
b) Prior application
In order to call upon the assistance hereafter mentioned under c) and d), the passenger should mention the necessity for assistance when booking, or as soon as possible after the necessity for assistance has become clear, or, at the latest, 48 hours before departure. The passenger must provide all required information regarding the nature of the disability by means of the "ASST" form.
The following categories are employed:
- “WCHR": passenger who can walk and climb and descend stairs, but who needs assistance due to the length of the distances they have to traverse at the airport;
- “WCHS”: passenger who can walk, but who is unable to climb and descend stairs;
- “WCHC”: passengers who move about in a wheelchair or who are unable to walk on their own;
The lack of a timely prior application may lead to improvisation and delay during boarding, or even to denied boarding.
c) Assistance at the airport
The managing body of the EU airport or the body designated by this airport is responsible for assistance to passengers with reduced mobility from the moment they arrive at the airport to the moment they take a seat on the airplane. In particular, it is possible to receive assistance to move about the airport buildings, check in, comply with obligations regarding emigration, customs and safety, board the aircraft, etc. The passenger ought to follow the procedure provided by the airport’s managing body.
d) Wheelchair transport
Wheelchairs belonging to the passengers can be transported at no charge, only in the baggage hold. This needs to be mentioned upon booking and has to be applied for by means of the correct application form 'ASST'.
A distinction is to be made between three kinds of wheelchairs.
1) Manual wheelchairs
Folding wheelchairs can be driven up to the aircraft steps or door and are subsequently loaded in the baggage hold.
2) Electric wheelchairs or other mobile assistance devices with non-spillable wet cell batteries.
This means the battery is a sealed unit and cannot be filled or refilled.
The following actions are to be taken in case of transport by plane:
• battery has to be disconnected
• battery poles need to be well isolated.
3) Electric wheelchairs or other mobile assistance devices with spillable wet cell batteries.
This means the battery can be filled or refilled. As the airline company cannot assure that the wheelchair will be transported upright in the cargo hold, the following actions have to be taken:
• remove the battery and pack it upright in an appropriate box (leak proof, resistant to battery liquid, packed sufficiently in absorbent material to absorb all liquids;
• information labels on the outside: 'battery, wet, with wheelchair; corrosive label; package orientation label (this way up).
Note: the term ‘dry battery’ only applies to small batteries such as batteries used in cameras, mobile phones or flashlights. Batteries used for wheelchair propulsion are always classified as wet spillable or wet non-spillable batteries. Non-spillable batteries are sealed units which cannot be refilled hence safer for transport and will only leak when damaged.
