Nowadays, assistance for passengers with reduced mobility is offered at all Spanish airports (AENA). In 2022, 1,718,653 million people with reduced mobility (PRM) were assisted nationwide. This free service guarantees that everyone with reduced mobility at Malaga airport can enjoy air transport regardless of their disability or mobility problem.
How to request Barrier Free assistance service at Malaga airport
In order to make your stay at Malaga airport before and after flying easier, AENA Aena offers a free assistance service for people with reduced mobility (PRM) and the disabled.
Malaga-Costa del Sol airport is also a pioneer in the provision of services for passengers with non-visible disabilities (such as autism, Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders and illnesses) to facilitate their passage through the facilities.
Who can use this service
- Passengers with reduced mobility, advanced age or any cause of disability requiring special attention.
- Take into account the minors and passengers who are not self-sufficient (e.g.: people with Alzheimer’s disease, etc) must be accompanied.
How to book the service
- You have to request assistance at least 48 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- You can do this either when purchasing your flight ticket through your travel agency or airline
- You can also request the service directly through the official AENA website or the phone + 34 91 321 10 00.
- Require assistance here
- If you are travelling with your own wheelchair or scooter, it is also important to check beforehand with your airline if they apply any restrictions to your equipment.
Procedure at Malaga airport
Arrivals Malaga airport
- The staff of the assistance service will meet you at your seat for debarkation and will help you with your hand luggage.
- They will accompany to the baggage reclaim area and from there, they will take you to the meeting point.
Departure Malaga airport
- You have to be at the Barrier Free Service meeting point 2.5 hours before your flight departure.
- The staff of the assistance service will pick you up from the meeting point of your choice and help you with the luggage.
- First, they will accompany you to the check-in desk and help you with the necessary check-in procedures. Afterwards, they help you through the security filter and help you boarding the plane, leaving you in your seat.
Barrier Free Service Meeting points Malaga airport
At Malaga airport there are 15 appropriately signposted Meeting Points both inside and outside the terminals, such as car parks, suburban train station, bus station, terminals, check in area, departures, baggage claim.
In addition, there are 3 personalised service points.
- You have to be at the agreed time at the agreed meeting point with AENA or your airline.
- A member of the assistance service team will assist you from the meeting point until you are seated on the aircraft.
Download app to book our Barrier Free assistance service
Download at this link the free AENA app with plenty of useful information. There you can as well find and request the Barrier Free assistance service.
FAQs about Barrier Free assistance
I have notified my airline that I need assistance. Do I Have to do anything else?
If you have notified your airline of your travel needs, you don’t need to do anything else. The airline will inform Malaga airport which will activate the assistance. Upon arrival at the airport, please processed to the meting point, where the staff will help you from check-in to the point you designate (boarding gate, aircraft door or aircraft seat).
Will I get help to get into the bus or taxi or accompany me to my car in the car park?
The assistance goes generally from meeting point to meeting point at the arrival airport. Therefore, the assistance staff for Persons with Reduced Mobility is not obligated to help you get into your means of transport (taxi, bus, private car, etc.). However, they may leave you very near it, as all airports have a meeting point near the means of transport.
A family member is going to accompany me to the airport but is not flying with me. Can they accompany me until I get on the aircraft?
No, only passengers with boarding pass can pass though the security filter, thus please request the airport assistance service.
At the following links you find more AENA answers to FAQs regarding reduced mobility air travel.
How to check in a wheelchair
- There is no charge for transporting your wheelchair and accessories.
- Check beforehand the conditions of your airline regarding the weight limit, measurements and type of battery you can travel with. If the wheelchair is electric, it is very important to know what type of battery it uses.
- It is essential to be at the check-in desk at least 2 hours before the departure of the flight.
- Passengers with checked-in electric wheelchairs will be provided with another manual wheelchair for their mobility around the airport and boarding area. Your wheelchair will be transported in the hold of the aircraft and can be collected from the baggage reclaim area on arrival at your destination.
Wheelchair on the plane
Depending on the wheelchair you use, you will have to check it in or you will be able to use it up to the boarding gate. There, you will be transferred to an aisle chair to make the journey to your seat on the aircraft.
Inside the aircraft
All airlines have specific seats for people in wheelchairs or with reduced mobility. That said, assistance and service is not the same on all airlines, so it is worth finding out what each one offers.
These services are free of charge.
Although some airlines do accompany passengers with reduced mobility to the toilet (e.g., Air Europa), not all airlines offer this service.
In general, airlines will not help you with food, getting up or medication. To meet these needs, you need a travel companion.
It is therefore important to go to the toilet before boarding the plane, as using the aircraft toilets can be very cumbersome. Also bear in mind that you are the first to board and the last to alight.
How to claim a damaged wheelchair?
It can always happen that objects travelling in the hold are damaged.
If this happens, the airline is obliged to provide another wheelchair while the damaged one is being replaced. In addition, the airline must bear the costs involved.
However, if you want to travel with more peace of mind, it is a good idea to have your wheelchair insured.
According to international agreements, the indemnification for the loss of or damage to your wheelchair is calculated based on the weight of the object, not its value, unless a special statement is made during check-in at the latest and a supplementary fee paid.
