Some passengers needed wheelchairs for medical reasons, but they could not board the plane. So can people in wheelchairs get on the plane? Let us give you Topmedi's answer.
Airports and airlines typically offer three types of wheelchair services for passengers with mobility problems: ground wheelchair, passenger lift wheelchair and air wheelchair.
Ground wheelchair refers to the wheelchair used in the terminal. For passengers who cannot walk for a long time but can walk and board for a short time, booking a ground wheelchair from the airport or airline is the most convenient option.
A passenger ladder wheelchair is a passenger ladder wheelchair provided by an airport or airline that does not dock at the cockpit during boarding to facilitate the boarding of passengers who are unable to go up or down stairs.
The on-board wheelchair refers to the narrow wheelchair specially used in the passenger cabin. When passengers are unable to walk or take long flights, it is essential to request an onboard wheelchair to help passengers get to and from the door, seat and toilet.
When checking in, explain the situation to the staff. The flight suit staff will arrange to use the wheelchair at the airport (free of charge) and then inspect the wheelchair themselves. Wheelchairs can be used before boarding. If a disabled person is flying alone, flight attendants will help people in wheelchairs stay in their seats. If you are accompanied by a relative, you can ask the relative to hug the person in the wheelchair. Upon disembarkation, a flight attendant at the destination airport will use an airport wheelchair to help the wheelchair cross the bridge, wait for the wheelchair to collect luggage and check in in the wheelchair.
The dedicated wheelchairs on board are usually narrower, while the passenger's own wheelchairs are wider. Passengers are required to contact the airline at the time of booking to determine whether the aircraft model and cabin space are suitable for passengers to board in their wheelchairs.
Some large airliners have plenty of cabin space and wide aisles on long-haul routes. Passengers can bring their own non-powered wheelchairs.
Electric wheelchairs need to be checked in. If the battery in the electric wheelchair is "non-leak-proof," the battery will need to be removed and the staff will pack and secure it to the aircraft for transportation safety.
Some airports will require passengers to bring their own batteries on board, such as issuing "wheelchair battery release slips" to help passengers with excess batteries get through security.
After boarding, passengers must sit in regular seats. Both the special wheelchairs on the bus and the passenger's own wheelchairs are fixed to a specific position. When passengers need to move around the cabin, flight attendants will help passengers use wheelchairs.
