SPECIAL ASSISTANCE

Passengers with special needs

Sometimes a simple gesture can make a big difference, perhaps a smile or just keeping a careful eye; other times, you need skills and special tools. We are trained in hospitals specialized in the care of people with reduced mobility, so that we can provide specific assistance and manage critical situations.

To guarantee a service tailored to your requirements, the request for assistance for passengers with disabilities or with reduced mobility must be made to Albastar during the flight booking process or at a later stage, but no later than 48 hours before your flight’s departure.

If you have booked your trip through a travel agency and you need to request assistance, you will need to contact such agency.

It is important to specify the type of assistance required, as described below.

About electrical wheelchair Albastar must be informed minimum 3 working days before departure. When you travel with a wheelchair, please specify the type of wheelchair, its dimensions, weight and whether it is manual or electric. In compliance with safety rules on wheelchair batteries, the airline has restrictions on the transport of electric wheelchairs.

In addition to medical equipment, without any additional charge, Albastar authorizes the transport of up to two pieces of mobility equipment per disabled person or person with reduced mobility, including electric wheelchairs (subject to advance warning of 48 hours and to possible limitations of space on board the aircraft, and subject to the application of relevant legislation concerning dangerous goods).

To ensure that we are able to transport your mobility aid in the baggage hold, please contact Albastar.

Please inform us if you require special assistance for:

• Passenger travelling with manual/electric wheelchair: Passenger who travels with his/her own wheelchair and may require assistance in the terminal as well as during all phases of boarding and disembarkation of the flight.
• Transport of stretchers: the requests must be made at least 21 working days prior to the flight and the transport is possible only on our fleet of Boeing 737-400.
• Wheelchair assistance to and from the aircraft: Passenger who can walk independently inside the aircraft and descend and ascend stairs but needs a wheelchair or other means of transport for long distances inside the terminal.
• Wheelchair assistance to and from the aircraft and with stairs: Passenger who can walk independently inside the aircraft and descend and ascend stairs but needs a wheelchair or other means of transport for long distances inside the terminal.
• Vision assistance: Blind or visually impaired passengers, who requires assistance with wayfinding and communication in the terminal and on the plane.
• Hearing assistance: Passenger with partial or total loss of hearing who requires communication assistance in the terminal and on the plane.
• Passengers travelling with a guide dog: The maximum number of blind passengers accompanied by a guide dog is limited to one per flight. Row allocated 2 DEF.
• Passengers who use crutches or a walking frame.
• Passengers with respiratory (breathing) problems.
• Passengers with artificial limbs.
• Passengers wearing plaster cast.

Blind passengers can bring their guide dog on board free of charge as long as it is equipped the following requirements.

• If the journey is made within the European Union, the following requirements apply:
• Identification by tattoo or microchip
• Passport issued by a veterinarian certifying that it has been vaccinated against rabies (more than 30 days and less than 12 months)
• Minimum age of 3 months, (age for mandatory vaccination)

In case that the journey is taking place to a country outside the EU, the necessary requirements established within those countries must be taken into account.

Passengers with a Plaster Cast should not travel during the first seven days the dressing has been put on. Anyhow if the passenger decides to travel the journey will be under his/her own responsibility, signing the corresponding Liability Release Form.

Acceptance conditions for leg/arms in cast passengers will be following:

• Flights under 2 hours in length: Within the first 48 hours of wearing a plaster it is recommended to wear the plaster cast open with a longitudinal cut carried out in hospital or the airport medical service. If the passenger does not wear the plaster open, he/she must sign a Liability Release Form, noting the date the plaster was put on.
• After 48 hours of wearing a plaster, the passenger can fly without restrictions.
• Flights over 2 hours in length: The passenger must wear the plaster cast open with a longitudinal cut carried out in a hospital or by the airport medical service. Additionally, he/she must sign a liability release form noting the date the plaster was put on.

 Booking and seating allocation – accompanying person   

For safety reasons, each aircraft is equipped with designated seats for passengers with disabilities or with reduced mobility. These seats are assigned during check-in at the airport and are always adjacent to the aircraft window.

For safety reasons it is not possible to allocate seats in emergency exit rows. Whenever possible, depending on the passenger load-factor, adjacent seats shall be kept free.

The seating allocation for persons accompanying people with disabilities or with reduced mobility will not bear any additional charges. If you are travelling with an accompanying person, Albastar will make every reasonable effort to allocate a seat next to you or nearby.

A window seat will be assigned, and the accompanying person must be seated next to the passenger with disabilities or with reduced mobility.

Except as for the special flights chartered for disabled passengers, two or more disabled passengers may not be seated in the same row of three seats.

The cabin seat will be assigned according to the Company procedures and passengers carrying their own wheelchair must have an assigned seat in order to reconcile the mobility aid carried in the aircraft cargo compartment with its owner.

Without any additional charge, Albastar guarantees the communication of essential information regarding the flight in accessible formats.

Without any additional charge Albastar will make of all reasonable efforts to arrange seating to meet the needs of individuals with disability or reduced mobility on request and subject to safety requirements and availability.

Without any additional charge, if required and in compliance with the privacy needs of passengers and the European regulations that protect the physical safety of cabin crew members, Albastar will assist passengers with disability or reduced mobility in moving to toilet facilities.

PRM Groups seat allocation:

SCP PRM  groups should be seated throughout the cabin to ensure that each PRM is surrounded by the maximum number of passengers capable of assisting in case of an emergency.

Seating Allocations and Maximum Number of PRM’s per Aircraft:

The PRM’s should not be seated adjacent to an emergency exit, due to for safety reasons such seats must be assigned only to persons who can be able to help in case of an evacuation (f.e. by handling the emergency windows).

When the number of PRM´s are a significant proportion of the total number of passengers on board, this may not exceed the number of persons that are able for giving assistance in an emergency evacuation.

PRM’s groups shall be authorized only if all emergency doors and exits of the aircraft are operative.

In case of any door or exit inoperative, the reduction of passengers shall be as specified in the airline procedure, not accepting PRM’s for transportation in this case.

Mobility equipment

All necessary mobility equipment, including electric wheelchairs, are subject to advance warning of 48 hours and to possible limitations of space on board the aircraft, and subject to the application of relevant legislation concerning dangerous goods.

When carrying manual powered wheelchairs (WCMP) it must be indicated whether the wheelchair is collapsible/foldable or rigid. If the device is a rigid wheelchair its measures (height, length, and width) must be indicated, as well as its weight.

Carriage of electric wheelchairs or electric mobility aids (EMA) is subject to prior Company authorization and Albastar will do its utmost to accept the items for transportation, provided the mobility aid follows the Dangerous Goods Regulation requirements.

To guarantee the transport of your electric wheelchair, please respect the following requirements:

With a minimum of 48 hours in advance when the mobility aid is powered by a dry cell or gel battery (identified as AGM, DRY CELL, GEL CELL, SLA).

With a minimum of 72 hours in advance when the mobility aid is powered by a lithium ion battery and lithium-ion polymer battery to enable Albastar to arrange the appropriate research to grant the safe transport of the device.

Limitations: up to a maximum of 300 Wh rating per battery unless the mobility aid is driven by two batteries then the maximum Wh rating may not exceed 160 Wh per battery.

Where a battery-powered or other similar mobility aid is specifically designed to allow its batteries to be removed by the user (e.g. collapsible):

1. The battery must be removed and carried in a strong, rigid packaging’s which must be carried in the cargo compartment in case of dry batteries and only in passenger cabin in case of lithium batteries. The battery must be placed in a protective pouch, especially designed for that purpose.
2. The removal of the batteries from the device must be performed by following the instructions of the manufacturer or device owner.
3. The batteries must be protected from short circuits

 Wheelchair powered by wet battery (spillable) is not accepted by Albastar. 

ALWAYS READY TO HELP YOU

If you’re planning your trip with Albastar and need special assistance, please contact your travel agency in advance or contact our Call Center so we can provide you with the best possible flight experience.