At the airport
We ask all passengers requiring special assistance to arrive at the boarding gate well in advance of the departure of your flight so that you can board more comfortably and, if you wish, take advantage of priority boarding. An announcement will be made at the gate inviting those in need of special assistance to present themselves first. Appropriate assistance will be provided to help passengers with reduced mobility to board the aircraft and take their seat.
Please understand that safety regulations mean it is not possible to seat any passenger with reduced mobility in an emergency exit row.
A number of seats on our aircraft have moveable armrests for ease of access. Our crew will be happy to help with stowing hand baggage and to provide assistance if you need help moving between your seat and the toilet. However, they are unable to assist with personal care.
Most airports offer wheelchair users the choice of relinquishing their chair at check-in with the rest of their luggage or keeping it until boarding. When wheelchairs are relinquished at check-in, an airport wheelchair will be provided for you to use until departure. If requested, we can also arrange for an escort for you through the terminal to the boarding gate. On arrival, we’ll endeavour to return any mobility aids to you as close to the aircraft as possible. If it is not possible to bring them to the door, we will make sure there is an airport wheelchair ready and an escort available, if required, to provide assistance to the terminal building.
In the unlikely event that a mobility aid, or any other special equipment related to your disability, is damaged or lost in transit, Titan Airways’ liability is limited under the Montreal Convention. We ask, therefore, that all passengers wishing to travel with such equipment have suitable insurance to cover these items in full.
Wheelchair/electric mobility aid users
We will carry up to two wheelchairs or mobility aids per passenger free of charge as hold luggage, provided there is sufficient space in the aircraft hold at the time of booking. Requests for the carriage of wheelchairs and mobility aids should be made to your tour operator or booking agent at least seven days prior to travel.
For electric mobility aids, such requests should contain as much detail about the wheelchair as possible and must include the following information:
- make and model
- number of batteries installed
- type of battery(ies)
- TARE (un-laden) weight
- dimensions (length x width x height)
- instructions for preventing unintended operation
Electric mobility aid – safety considerations
We can carry many types of electric wheelchair, including those containing ‘non-spillable’ (gel electrolyte) or lithium batteries, provided certain conditions are met to ensure their safe and secure transportation.
Because of aircraft hold door size on some of our aircraft, there may be restrictions on mobility aids unless the mobility aid can be broken down. Please contact your tour operator or booking agent in advance, who should be able to confirm if it can be carried on the aircraft.
In all cases, steps will need to be taken to prevent unintended activation in transit. This may be achieved by switching off the mobility aid and removing the key (if fitted), separating power cable connectors, or by inserting an inhibiting plug (such as an Airsafe™). If none of these options is possible, it is acceptable to lock out operation of an electric mobility aid by performing a sequence of movements of the joystick in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Details for many electric mobility aids can be found at www.bhta.com/air-transport-advice/
In the event that you present a mobility aid that cannot be immobilised to prevent unintended activation in transit, we will refuse carriage on the grounds of safety.
Mobility aids with non-spillable batteries
To ensure that your mobility aid can be carried safely, the following must be completed by airport representative staff before we can accept the item for carriage and load it into the aircraft:
- the battery terminals must be protected from short circuits, eg by being enclosed within a battery container, as is common with many current types. Where this is not the case and terminals are exposed, they should be protected using electrical insulation tape
- the battery should be securely attached to the wheelchair or mobility aid
- electrical circuits must be isolated by removal of key/Airsafe™ plug etc (guidance from user may be required). Simple use of on/off buttons is not acceptable because these do not adequately immobilise the aid
- where a mobility aid is specifically designed to allow its battery(ies) to be removed by the user (eg collapsible) the battery must be removed, and the terminals protected from short circuit and carried in strong, rigid packagings that must be transported in the aircraft hold
Mobility aids with spillable batteries
To ensure that your mobility aid can be carried safely, the following must be completed by airport representative staff before we can accept the item for carriage and load it into the aircraft.
Provided that the wheelchair or mobility aid can be loaded, stowed, secured and unloaded always in an upright position, then the battery may remain installed in the wheelchair. The following conditions must be met:
- the battery terminals must be protected from short circuits, eg by being enclosed within a battery container
- the battery must be securely attached to the wheelchair or mobility aid
- electrical circuits must be isolated by removal of key/Airsafe™ plug etc (guidance from user may be required). Simple use of on/off buttons is not acceptable as these do not adequately immobilise the aid.
If the wheelchair or mobility aid cannot be loaded, stowed, secured and unloaded always in an upright position, the battery must be removed. The wheelchair or mobility aid may then be carried without restriction.
Should we be unable to stow the aid upright in the hold, its battery will need to be removed and the battery terminals protected against short circuit. Where possible, please bring your manufacturer’s instructions to the airport to facilitate these measures. In the event of the battery being removed, it will need to be protected against short circuits, placed in strong outer packaging and packed with absorbent material, marked ‘BATTERY, WET, WITH WHEELCHAIR’ or ‘BATTERY, WET, WITH MOBILITY AID’ and bearing a corrosive label. We can provide this packaging, but request that if you have such suitable packaging it is brought to the airport with you.
Please note that only wet-cell batteries for the powering of wheelchairs are permitted on our flights. Carriage of wet-cell batteries for other purposes will be refused.
Mobility aids with lithium batteries
To ensure that your mobility aid can be carried safely, the following must be completed by airport representative staff before we can accept the item for carriage and load it into the aircraft:
- the battery terminals must be protected from short circuits, eg by being enclosed within a battery container
- the battery must be securely attached to the wheelchair or mobility aid
- electrical circuits must have been isolated by removal of key/Airsafe™ plug etc (guidance from user may be required). Simple use of on/off buttons is not acceptable as these do not adequately immobilise the aid.
Where a battery-powered or other similar mobility aid is specifically designed to allow its battery(ies) to be removed by the user (eg collapsible), the battery must be removed. The battery must be protected from short circuit by insulating the terminals (eg by taping over exposed terminals) and the removed battery must be protected from damage by placing each battery in a protective pouch. The battery must be carried in the passenger cabin. The battery must not exceed 300Wh and a maximum of one spare battery not exceeding 300Wh, or two spares each not exceeding 160Wh, may also be carried.
