Boarding wheelchairs: this is how you do it with Albastar

If you belong to the Special Categories of Passengers, and it’s not your first flying experience, you know that people with disabilities deserve special attention when travelling.

You probably also know that we are qualified and organised to transport passengers with reduced mobility who may need to travel lying down: on all our Boeing 737-400 aircraft in the fleet, configured with 170 seats in a single class, we can fit two medical stretchers, which confirms Albastar’s considerable attention dedicated to flights to pilgrimage destinations.

It’s not easy, but it’s definitely not impossible to travel with a wheelchair. Do you have one? We suggest you also read this article because we believe it can help you organise your flight.

When booking, please inform us of your need to travel with an electric or folding wheelchair or with any other mobility aid. The good news is that your wheelchair is loaded on board free of charge.

Safety is Albastar’s key priority.

If you need to board an electric wheelchair with a liquid or lithium battery you must notify us at least 7 days prior to the departure date.

You will always need our authorisation to transport it or other similar mobility aids equipped with non-spillable batteries that comply with the special provision A67 or with the vibration and differential pressure test Packing Instruction 872.

If your mobility is temporary or limited by a permanent or age-related disability, we authorise the transport of your wheelchair as checked baggage under two conditions:

• the battery terminals are protected against short circuits
• the battery is securely attached to the wheelchair at the time of check-in

A label on the battery indicates the type used by your device, for example, if it is lithium, spillable or non-spillable.

And as for lithium-ion batteries for medical devices with a rating exceeding 100 Wh, but not exceeding 160 Wh, our airline only authorises those with a lithium content of more than 2 g, but not exceeding 8 g.

After our approval, you can only carry a maximum of two spare batteries in your hand luggage.

We remind you that they must be individually protected to avoid short circuits: you can insert them in their original packaging or pack each battery separately in insulating containers such as plastic bags or protection bags with electrical tape.

Spare lithium batteries are not allowed in checked baggage.

Please note! Albastar does not authorise the transport of wheelchairs or mobility aids with batteries that could leak or with spillable batteries (WCBW).

What is the last check for boarding a wheelchair?

Remember to insulate the battery terminals with adhesive tape to avoid a short circuit and disable any switch or control unit.

Perhaps we have bored you a little with all these rules regarding mobility aids used for travelling, but we wish to give you as much information as possible to help you simplify the organisation of your trip.