Make a complaint about a violation of the rights of air passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility

You have the right to free assistance at the airport and during your flight. The airport operator is responsible for assistance at the airport and the airline is responsible for assistance during the flight.

If your rights were not respected, contact the airport operator or airline first. If necessary, you can make a complaint to us. Traficom monitors compliance with the rights of air passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility in Finland.

When can you make a complaint?

You can make a complaint, for example, if:

• you did not receive the assistance you were entitled to at the airport or during your flight
• your booking was refused or you were denied boarding because of your disability or reduced mobility
• there were problems transporting your mobility equipment, assistive device or assistance dog

You can find more information about your rights later on this page in the section “Your rights and assistance during air travel”.

What can Traficom do about your complaint?

We can issue a recommendation in response to your complaint. We monitor compliance with the rights of passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility in air travel in Finland.

• Privacy statement concerning the processing of matters related to EU passenger rights – you can find the statement under Transport system

Your rights and assistance during air travel

Who can receive assistance?

Assistance is available to people whose mobility is permanently or temporarily reduced. For example, older passengers, wheelchair users and people with visual or hearing impairments may need assistance.

Assistance is also available to people with disabilities, people on the autism spectrum and people with memory disorders, for example. Not all disabilities are visible.

Assistance is free of charge.

How do you request assistance?

Tell the airline, ticket seller or tour operator that you need assistance when you book your trip, or at least 48 hours before your flight.

How you request assistance varies. For example, you may be able to request it when making your booking, through a separate online form or by telephone.

Describe the assistance you need as clearly as possible. Also provide information about any mobility equipment, assistance dog, breathing equipment or oxygen equipment you will be travelling with. Ask for written confirmation of your assistance arrangements.

If your flights are part of the same booking, your request also covers connecting and return flights. If you have booked your flights separately, tell each airline about your assistance needs.

You must not be charged an additional fee for requesting assistance.

If you have not requested assistance in advance, you will still receive help to board your booked flight. However, it may not be possible to meet all your needs.

Do you need a medical certificate?

You do not need a medical certificate or any other proof that you need assistance. You can decide for yourself what assistance you need. Remember that distances at airports can be long.

Some medical conditions or recent operations may affect your ability to fly. In these situations, the airline may require a medical assessment of your fitness to travel.

What assistance can you receive at the airport?

The airport operator is responsible for providing assistance at the airport. If you request assistance in advance, the airport operator will receive information about your needs.

Let the assistance staff know that you have arrived, either at check-in or at an assistance call point. These points are usually marked with a symbol such as a wheelchair. They have a telephone or another way for you to announce your arrival. Check the airport's website to find out where the assistance call points are located.

Follow the arrival time given by the airline. If no time has been agreed, you must report your arrival:

• at an assistance call point at least two hours before departure or
• at check-in at least one hour before departure

A trained member of staff will help you move around the airport and complete the necessary procedures. For example, you can receive assistance with check-in, security checks, border formalities, baggage and boarding the aircraft.

The staff member will accompany you to the departure gate or meet you at an agreed location when boarding begins. You will usually be among the first passengers to board. You will receive assistance all the way to your seat.

If you have a connecting flight, a member of the assistance staff will help you reach it. At your destination, they will help you leave the aircraft, accompany you through the terminal, collect your baggage and take you to an assistance call point or another agreed exit point.

If you are travelling with your own assistant, they can provide the assistance you need at the airport if you prefer.

What assistance can you receive during your flight?

The airline is responsible for providing assistance during the flight. Cabin crew are trained to assist passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.

Tell the airline about your needs in advance and consider the length of your flight. Check the airline's safety rules and any restrictions on transporting mobility equipment and other assistive devices.

Seating

If you request a particular type of seat, the airline must make reasonable efforts to provide a seat that meets your needs. This depends on safety requirements and seat availability.

If you are travelling with your own assistant, the airline will make reasonable efforts to seat them next to you.

For safety reasons, passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility cannot sit in certain seats, such as those next to emergency exits.

Access to the toilet

You can receive assistance in moving to the toilet facilities. Check in advance whether an on-board wheelchair is available, as cabin crew are not required to lift you. You must be able to use the toilet independently.

You can ask for a seat as close to the toilet as possible.

Travelling with your own assistant

The airline does not provide personal assistance with tasks such as eating or taking medication. If you need this type of assistance, the airline may require you to travel with your own assistant.

Check the price of your assistant's ticket with the airline.

Flight information

Essential information about your flight must be available in accessible formats.

What mobility equipment can you bring?

You can take up to two pieces of mobility equipment, such as a wheelchair or wheeled walker (rollator), free of charge. You can also bring any medication and other medical supplies you need during your journey.

The airline needs to know the weight and dimensions of your wheelchair and the type of battery used in an electric wheelchair. Some aircraft may have restrictions on transporting mobility equipment because of their size. Check these restrictions with the airline.

You need the airline's permission to transport breathing or oxygen equipment. If you need supplementary oxygen during the flight, arrange this with the airline in advance. The airline may charge a fee for supplementary oxygen.

Can you bring an assistance dog?

You can bring an assistance dog on your flight free of charge.

Tell the airline about your dog when booking your trip and check the airline's requirements. If you are travelling abroad, make sure you have the documents required by your destination country, such as vaccination certificates and import permits.

When can an airline refuse your booking or deny you boarding?

An airline, ticket seller or tour operator must not refuse your booking or deny you boarding because of your disability or reduced mobility.

They may only do so for safety reasons or if the size of the aircraft or its doors makes it impossible for you to board the aircraft. Your journey must not put your safety at risk.

For safety reasons, you may also be required to travel with your own assistant.

You must be told the reason for the refusal immediately. If you ask for a written explanation, you must receive it within five working days.

Airlines and ticket sellers must publish their safety rules for carrying passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility in accessible formats. They must also publish any restrictions caused by the size of the aircraft.

What are your rights if your booking is refused or you are denied boarding?

If your booking is refused for safety reasons or because of the size of the aircraft, the airline, ticket seller or tour operator must make reasonable efforts to offer you an acceptable alternative.

If you are denied boarding because of your disability or reduced mobility, you can choose between reimbursement of your ticket price and re-routing.

If you choose reimbursement, the airline must refund your ticket price within seven days. You are also entitled to reimbursement for parts of your journey you have already completed if the journey no longer serves any purpose in relation to your original travel plans.

If you choose re-routing, the airline must offer you an alternative flight to your final destination at the earliest opportunity. You can also choose a later date that suits you, subject to seat availability.

If you are denied boarding during a journey that includes a connecting flight, you have the right to a free return flight to the original point of departure shown on your ticket.

A return flight or re-routing can only be provided if you can travel safely.

What if your mobility equipment is lost or damaged?

If your wheelchair or other mobility equipment is lost or damaged while being handled at the airport or transported on the aircraft, you are entitled to compensation under the applicable international, EU or national rules.

For information about other baggage that is lost, damaged or delayed, visit the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority's page on baggage Ulkoinen verkkopalvelu..

Traficom does not handle enquiries about baggage.

Which flights offer assistance?

You can receive assistance on all flights departing from the EU. You are also entitled to assistance on flights arriving from outside the EU if the flight is operated by an EU airline. These rules also apply to Norway, Switzerland and Iceland and to airlines from these countries.

Free assistance is available at airports in the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. In other countries, assistance may not be free or may not be available at all. Before travelling, check with the authorities in the country concerned to find out what assistance is available.

• Read more on the Your Europe website. Ulkoinen verkkopalvelu.
• Legislation on your rights Ulkoinen verkkopalvelu.