Caring from afar Note · 4 min read

Flying with an older parent in India: the help airlines must give

Wheelchair help from the terminal to the seat, at no extra cost, if you tell the airline 48 hours ahead. What the aviation rules say

The Pushpa team · 2 sources

Pushpa notes35

Boarding passSeat 3C

PNQ

Pune

✈

DEL

Delhi

♿Wheelchair assistance requested

Fly easy

Long airport corridors, security queues and steep aircraft steps can make a trip to see the grandchildren feel impossible for a parent with weak knees. India's aviation regulator (DGCA) has rules for passengers with reduced mobility, and most families don't know how much help they cover

48 hours

the notice to give the airline before departure to request assistance (DGCA rules, via the government's Vikaspedia portal)

What the rules say

Airlines may not refuse to carry a person with reduced mobility, as long as the need is told to the airline at booking
Tell the airline what help is needed at least 48 hours before departure
The airline must help from the departure terminal to the aircraft, and from the aircraft to the arrival exit, without extra charge
She can board first and leave the plane last, and be given an accessible seat with more legroom free of charge
Airlines shouldn't insist on a medical certificate from someone who only needs help getting around

Recent news reports say the DGCA has allowed airlines to charge an assistance fee to passengers who aren't disabled or reduced in mobility. Check your airline's current policy when you book

Before you fly

Request wheelchair assistance while booking, then call the airline 48 hours ahead to confirm
Keep her medicines, medicine list and reports in her hand luggage
Ask for an aisle seat near the front, close to the toilet
Make sure someone meets her at the arrival exit

How Pushpa helpsPushpa keeps her medicine list and recent reports on the family's phones, so they travel with her, and can remind her the evening before to pack her tablets

Rules change. Check the latest DGCA and airline guidance before you travel