Wheelchair/Mobility Aid
Wheelchair Access in Tenerife
Tenerife in general has good wheelchair access. There are long flat promenades which connect the main resorts and they are easily navigated and pleasant to travel on. There are many wheelchair friendly hotels and the main tourist attractions on the island are also wheelchair friendly. Some of the beaches in Tenerife are also adapted for wheelchair access.
When you arrive at Tenerife South Airport you will find that the airport is wheelchair friendly. There are ramps and lifts to accommodate wheelchairs.
Travelling With a Wheelchair or Mobility Aid
If you are planning on taking your electric wheelchair/mobility aid/scooter, you will need to inform your airline of the same.
You will need to advise your airline at least 48 hours in advance of travel of the make, model, weight and lowest collapsed height of the wheelchair.
If you need more information on how to request wheelchair assistance at Tenerife South Airport check the link to our page below.
Although airlines do not generally have weight restrictions for mobility equipment, there may be size restrictions, so you need to check your airlines restrictions.
Check how many pieces of mobility equipment your airline will allow you to travel with.
For example, Easyjet will carry 2 wheelchairs (manual or powered) or other pieces of personal mobility equipment per passenger free of charge.
Travelling with your Wheelchair/Mobility Aid
You will usually be able to remain in your wheelchair up to the door of the plane.
However, if your wheelchair requires special handling, it may be necessary for it to be taken from you earlier so it can be safely loaded onto the airplane.
You will not be able to take it onto the cabin of the plane and it will need to be carried in the airplane hold.
If you are travelling with an electric wheelchair it is advisable that you carry the operating instructions with you.
If you are taking an electric wheelchair or mobility scooter this will be classed as a dangerous object on account of its battery.
Most wheelchairs have dry acid batteries to power them and are sealed which means they can be carried and operated easily and put in the hold. However you must ensure that your wheelchair or mobility scooter complies with the following:
- If your wheelchair has a liquid battery check before you travel that your airline will carry this in their hold.
- A wheelchair that has a liquid battery must have the battery removed completely during the duration of the journey.
- Your airline carrier will put the wet acid battery in a special sealed container in the hold during the flight.
- Dimensions of the chair when collapsed do not exceed your airlines maximum allowance. You will need to check this before you travel.
- Carrying more than one piece of mobility equipment. Check with your airline how many pieces of mobility equipment you are allowed to travel with. Some airlines only allow you to travel with one.
- Make sure your mobility aid is covered by your travel insurance.
- Check your airline for any further requirements they may have.
Regardless of the type of battery your mobility aid or wheelchair uses, your airline will require the following information before you travel:
Airline Wheelchair Specifications
- Make and Model
- Type of battery
- Number of batteries
- The TARE (un-laden) weight
- Dimensions (i.e. length x width x height)
- Opearating instructions
Airlines Policies for travelling with a Wheelchair or Mobility Aid
Ryanair’s Policy for travelling with a wheelchair/mobility aid:
In order to be accepted onto the flight electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters must comply with the following rules:
- We only accept dry/gel cell or lithium-ion (wheelchair) batteries (lithium-ion batteries cannot exceed a total of 300 watts)
- The dimensions of the wheelchair when collapsed must not exceed 81cms (height), 119cms (width) and 119cms (depth)
- The battery power must be isolated and exposed terminals protected from short circuiting, to protect the wheelchair/mobility aid from inadvertent activation, please remove the key, deactivate using the joystick or deactivate using an isolation switch or buttons, or other isolation mechanism (such as Anderson Connector or Airsafe plug ).
Some things to note:
The 32kg single item weight limit does not apply to mobility equipment.
No wheelchairs are permitted to travel in the aircraft cabin and segways cannot be carried.
We recommend that travel insurance cover for their mobility aids be purchased as an airline’s liability is limited under the Montreal Convention 1999.
Easyjet Policy for Travelling with a Wheelchair/Mobility Aid:
EasyJet will carry 2 wheelchairs (manual or powered) or other pieces of personal mobility equipment per passenger free of charge.
There is no size or weight limit on the wheelchairs that we carry (but see ‘Powered wheelchairs’ below).
To make sure that we will be able to transport your mobility aid in the aircraft hold, please look at the overall dimensions of the aid – these can be found in the wheelchair manual. The cargo doors to our aircraft have a standard size of 1.75m wide by 1.24m high. If you are in doubt, please contact our Special Assistance Team.
Powered wheelchairs and electric mobility aids
We ask that you provide us with some details about your wheelchair before you fly, by calling or emailing us:
- Type of battery
- Weight
- Dimensions (length x width x height)
Jet2 Carriage of Wheelchairs and Mobility Aids:
jet2 will carry up to two pieces of mobility equipment per person free of charge in the aircraft hold subject to capacity of the operating aircraft.
Please ensure you have taken out suitable insurance for this equipment as the carrier’s liability is limited by the Montreal Convention.
If you are carrying a manual aid which weighs over 32kg, you will need to inform Jet2 dedicated Assistance Team on:
+44 (0) 800 408 5591 or +44 (0)203 059 8337
If calling from overseas. (Open Mon – Fri 08:00 – 21:00 and Sat – Sun 09:00 – 18:00)
Jet2.com will only accept up to a maximum of three powered mobility devices on a single flight, which shall be accepted on a first come first serve basis.
Regardless of the type of battery your mobility aid or wheelchair uses, Jet2 will need the following information before you travel:
- Make and Model
- Type of battery
- Number of batteries
- The TARE (un-laden) weight
- Dimensions (i.e. length x width x height)
- Instructions for preventing inadvertent operation (see below for your specific battery type)
Mobility aids with NON SPILLABLE batteries:
British Airways Policy on Travelling with your own Wheelchair/Mobility Aid:
Electric wheelchairs and mobility aids
What information we need:
To be able to store your wheelchair or mobility aid (e.g. scooter) safely on board we need the following information:
- Wheelchair/mobility aid type
- Dimensions (see table below)
- Tare (un-laden) weight
- Number of batteries installed
- Type of battery (see notes for wet cell/lithium batteries below)
- Instructions for preventing inadvertent operation (see notes below)
We will always try and place your wheelchair/mobility aid in containers to keep them safe. There might be some instances where we might not be able to carry your wheelchair/mobility aid, for example:
- If we’re unable to prevent unintended operation of the electric mobility aid.
Dimensions
We can accommodate the following maximum dimensions for wheelchairs and mobility aids:
| Flights to and from | Length | Width | Height |
| UK and Europe | 140cm (55.1in) | 85cm (33.5in) | 106cm (41.7in) |
Aer Lingus Wheelchair Requirements:
Aer Lingus will notify your departure and arrival airports that you’ve requested a wheelchair and assistance from check-in to the boarding gate.
We’ll also let them know if you’ve requested a carry on service, which is for passengers who are completely immobile and can’t make their own way to their seat. Passengers must be able to sit upright in the seat.
If you’re travelling with your own wheelchair, it travels free of charge, however we need to know if it’s battery operated.
Passengers aren’t permitted to check in or carry on board any wet-cell batteries, either in wheelchairs or as spare batteries.
For the purposes of loading onto and transport aboard our aircraft, wheelchairs must be capable of disassembly into constituent parts weighing not more than 120kgs each.
Vueling Airlines -Passengers travelling with a wheelchair or mobility aid device:
The wheelchair or mobility aid is carried as checked luggage.
In the case of a wheelchair, passengers can use their own wheelchairs as far as the boarding gate.
In accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006, up to two pieces of mobility equipment per disabled passenger or person with reduced mobility can be carried at no extra cost.
Vueling does not have wheelchairs or space to accommodate passengers’ wheelchairs inside the cabin.
Any wheelchair or other mobility aids that run on un-spillable or dry batteries must be correctly packaged with the terminals duly isolated. It must be accompanied by a certificate that shows that the battery is un-spillable gel or dry and and can be carried without advance authorisation from the company, as long as it weighs less than 150 kg.
We always advise contacting us to confirm that carriage is possible, giving us the make, model, measurements and battery.
Under no circumstances do we carry spillable or lithium batteries in the hold, (except if passengers want to carry the lithium battery in their hand luggage, if it complies with hand luggage size, 55 x 40 x 20 cm).
Insurance for Wheelchairs and Mobility Aids
Check that your wheelchair/mobility aid or scooter are insured before you travel.
They can easily be damaged in transit, in the hold of the aircraft or when you arrive at your destination.
You will need to check carefully the terms of your travel insurance policy as most travel insurance policies exclude cover for wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
Some household contents insurance policies will include your wheelchair in your “Personal Possessions”. You will need to contact your house contents insurer to enquire whether it is possible to include your wheelchair or mobility scooter whilst abroad.
There are also specialised insurance companies who can provide insurance cover for your wheelchair.
Wheelchair and Mobility Hire
If you don’t wish to take your wheelchair or mobility aid with you then there is also the option of hiring a mobility aid or mobility equipment when you are in Tenerife.
There is a great selection of mobility items and disability aids for hire from different companies on the island. These can be delivered and collected direct to and from your accommodation.