Disability assistance

Introduction

In order to ensure all our guests can experience our people-oriented service approach, all our ground personnel and cabin crew have already completed a series of training for assisting passengers requiring special care. This is to make sure that all of them are equipped themselves to be an expert to take care of you. To help us provide you with the services you require, please let us know how we can best assist you.

You can obtain information in advance regarding assistance we can offer either through this web site or by contacting our local Reservations office. Please be aware that there might be unforeseen circumstances such as weather or mechanical problems that may call for a last minute aircraft switch, but we will do our best to accommodate your needs. However, in any circumstances, we are unable to provide passengers with any assistance for personal care needs in-flight such as eating/drinking, administration of medications, elimination functions including assistance inside the lavatory, or other personal care needs.

Advance Notice

Please contact our Customer Service Center at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure flight for advance arrangement.

Use any medical portable electronic device including POC, CPAP machine, respirator, or ventilator inflight.
Travel with a group of ten or more people with disabilities
Plan to travel with guide dog

Travel advice

Check your flight status before arriving at the airport. Check into your flight and arrive at the airport as early as possible to allow time to check any baggage, go through the security screening, and board the plane. Be alert to gate and flight time changes and notify airline personnel of your need to move to a different gate, if necessary.

Mobility Assistance

Hong Kong Airlines provides wheelchair services within airport area upon your request. In order to ensure the service meets your needs, our reservation office or airport staff may ask you some questions to the extent permitted by law to determine the level of assistance you require. As such, it is appreciated that you can provide us with as much information as possible during the reservation or checking-in at our counter.

The wheelchair service will be provided at no additional charge for all Hong Kong Airlines flights. Attendant will assist to transport you to the designated boarding gate from our check-in counter (depending on the facilities of the airport).

In-flight wheelchair and aisle seat is also available, should you need any assistance inside the cabin (i.e. moving between your seat and the aircraft door or lavatory door). In the event that you are unable to transfer by yourself from the in-flight wheelchair to/from your seat, our cabin crew may assist you using appropriate transfer equipment(s) available onboard our aircraft. For more details regarding wheelchair service please refer to "Travel Assistance".

For safety reasons, Hong Kong Airlines may require some passengers to travel with a safety assistant who can provide them with assistance in comprehending and responding appropriately to safety instructions given by our cabin crew and/or assist them to evacuate the aircraft in the event of an emergency.

In general, our cabin crew are unable to provide any assistance for personal care needs in-flight such as eating/drinking, administration of medications, elimination functions including assistance inside the lavatory or other personal care needs. Should you require any of these personal care assistance during in-flight, we may require that you travel with an appropriate personal care attendant or make alternative arrangements.

Walking canes, frames, and crutches may be carried onboard, provided they are stowed in accordance with cabin safety requirements. If your walking frame is collapsible and cabin crew can stow it safely, it can also be carried in the aircraft cabin. For safety reasons, non-collapsible walking frames are not permitted in the aircraft cabin and will have to be checked-in. You can use your frame to the departure gate where it can be surrendered for priority stowage in the aircraft cargo hold.

Passengers requiring escorts

is travelling in a stretcher, incubator or require medical attention during the flight. (The safety assistant must be capable of attending to their medical needs in the cabin.)

is unable to comprehend or respond properly to safety instructions due to cognitive or developmental disability.

has mobility impairment, which is so severe that the passenger is unable to assist in his or her own evacuation of the aircraft.

has severe hearing and vision impairments and cannot establish some means of communication with our cabin crew.

The safety assistant and personal care attendant must be self-reliant, mentally and physically able to provide such assistance to the passengers.

Passengers with hearing impairment

If you require assistance during your flight with us, we encourage you to let us know how we may best assist you at the time of your booking or during check in. The assistance we can offer includes:

Meet and assist service to escort you to and from the aircraft
Individual safety briefings
Subtitles on our in-flight safety videos
Priority boarding

If you are travelling with your accredited service dog, please contact our local reservations office.

We do not require advance notification if you wish to bring onboard hearing aids, special headsets, audio-receivers or other battery operated assistive listening devices*. These devices can be used during all phases of flight. If you plan to bring onboard a transmitting device, please advise us at least 48 hours in advance so we can ensure that it is compliant with our safety requirements.

*Please note that for safety and operational reasons, passengers will not be permitted to plug any assistive listening devices into the aircraft’s power supply and must instead supply their own power in accordance with all applicable regulations.

Passengers with visual impairment

If you require assistance during your flight with us, we encourage you to let us know how we may best assist you at the time of your booking or during check in. The assistance we can offer includes:

Meet and assist service to escort you to and from the aircraft
Individual safety briefings
Assistance inflight in moving to and from your seat
Priority boarding

If you are travelling with your accredited service dog, please contact our local reservations office.

If you use a cane or other assistive device, it may be carried in the aircraft cabin with you, provided it can be stowed under your seat or in the overhead compartment. The cane needs to lie flat on the floor and should not block any emergency exit or protrude into the aisle. You may ask our cabin crew for assistance in loading and retrieving your cane in case it is not collapsible or if it cannot be stowed under your seat. All such assistive devices will be carried free of charge.

Passengers with cognitive or developmental impairment

If you require assistance during your flight with us, we recommend that you please let us know how we may best assist you at the time of your booking or during check in.

While we strive to provide an exemplary level of service, it is not possible for us to arrange for passengers to be attended to at all times. Passengers who are unable to follow safety instructions should arrange their own safety assistant and passengers in need of continuous assistance or personal care should arrange their own personal care attendant.

Guide Dog/Assistance Dog

In compliance with the guidance of Civil Aviation Department, Hong Kong Airlines only allow to accept guide dog (which has been accredited by International Guide Dog Federation, Assistance Dogs International or Assistance Dogs Europe) and assistance dog (which has been accredited by Assistance Dogs International or Assistance Dogs Europe) in our cabin for inbound and outbound flights. In the event the passenger is travelling with guide dog or assistance dog**, please contact Hong Kong Airlines Customer Service Center at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure flight for advance arrangement. The passenger is reminded to prepare any relevant documentation as may be required by Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and relevant authorities to/from your destination country.

**In the event the passenger is travelling with assistance dog for emotional or psychiatric support purposes. Kindly provide a letter and/or documentation issued by licensed mental health professional (e.g. psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker, or medical doctor who specifically treating the passenger’s mental or emotional disability) with the following details:

the date of the letter/documentation issued within one year prior to the scheduled departure flight;
the passenger has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
the passenger needs the emotional support or psychiatric assistance dog as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the passenger's destination;
assessor providing the assessment is a licensed mental health professional and is currently providing professional care for the passenger; and
the date and type of the mental health professional's license and the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued.