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TEMPORARY AIRPORT PERMITS FOR INDIVIDUALS

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RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH REDUCED MOBILITY

Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 stipulates that air carriers operating flights must give priority to persons with reduced mobility and their accompanying persons or certified service dogs, as well as children traveling without adults. In the case of refusal of carriage, cancellation and delay of flights for any period of time, persons with reduced mobility and any persons accompanying them, as well as children traveling without adults, have the right to be taken care of as soon as possible in accordance with the requirements of the Regulation. in 2006 July 5 European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2006 on the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when traveling by air .

The purpose of this regulation is to ensure that disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility are not discriminated against and that they are given similar opportunities to travel by air as other citizens. In order to meet the special needs of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility at airports and on aircraft, they should be provided with qualified assistance by means of the necessary personnel and the necessary equipment. When organizing assistance, airports and air carriers should take into account the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) Document 30, Part 1, Chapter 5 and its annexes , which establish rules and guidelines for good practice based on the requirements of the Regulation.  The aforementioned persons must receive the services without additional charge.

The regulation prohibits an air carrier, its agent or travel organizer from refusing to:

a) confirm the flight reservation;
b) boarding a disabled person or a person with reduced mobility, if such person has a valid ticket and reservation;

Unless:
a) it is necessary in accordance with the applicable security requirements or in accordance with established flight safety requirements, or
b) if, due to the size of the aircraft or the size of its doors, a disabled person or a person with limited mobility cannot physically be boarded or transported.

If the confirmation of the reservation is refused for the above reasons, the air carrier, its agent or the tour operator must make reasonable efforts to find an alternative acceptable to the person concerned. The air carrier, its agent or tour operator makes it possible to become familiar with the safety rules that they apply to the carriage of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility, as well as the restrictions on their carriage or the carriage of their mobility equipment, which are applied due to the size of the aircraft. The regulation provides that a disabled person or a person with limited mobility must be informed immediately if they are refused transportation. He must be given the reasons for such actions, and upon request, the air carrier,

Arrival and departure points for the disabled and persons with reduced mobility

On the territory of the airport or in a place directly under its control, both inside and outside the terminal, there are designated and specially marked arrival and departure points where disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility can easily announce their arrival at the airport and request assistance. Such locations may be at the main entrances to terminal buildings, check-in areas, train, metro, light rail and bus stops, taxi stands and other passenger drop-off points, and airport parking lots.

Right to assistance at airports

1. When a disabled person or a person with reduced mobility arrives at the airport of departure for a flight, they must be provided with prescribed assistance so that the person can depart with the available reservation, provided that the relevant air carrier or its agent or tour operator has been notified of the special needs for such assistance notified at least 48 hours before the announced flight time. If the onward flight and the return flight are operated by the same air carrier, this notice also covers the return flight. These provisions apply provided that:

a) the person comes to check-in himself: at the time specified in advance in writing (including by electronic means) by the air carrier or its agent or tour operator, or if no time is specified, no later than one hour before the announced departure time,  or

b) the person arrives at the designated place at the airport for disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility: at the time specified in advance in writing (including by electronic means) by the air carrier or its agent or tour operator, or if no time is specified, no later than two hours before the announced departure time .

2. In cases where the help of a recognized assistance dog is needed, conditions are created to pick it up, provided that such transportation is permitted by the transportation rules established by the carrier or carriers.
3. If a disabled person or a person with reduced mobility does not report special assistance needs or reports less than 48 hours before the flight, every reasonable effort must be made to allow them to fly with the available reservation.
4. When a disabled person or a person with limited mobility passes through an airport covered by this regulation, transits or is transferred against his/her own wish from a flight with an available reservation by an air carrier or tour organizer to another flight, he/she must be provided with the assistance provided in such a way that a person could fly with an available reservation.
5. Upon arrival at the airport, a disabled or mobility-impaired passenger must be provided with the prescribed assistance so that the person can reach the designated point of arrival/departure from the airport territory.
6. The assistance provided must be adapted as best as possible to the special needs of each passenger.

Assistance for which airport managing bodies or their authorized assistance providers are responsible
  • Accept notification of the arrival of a disabled or mobility-impaired passenger at the airport and a request for special assistance.
  • To/from the designated arrival point to go to the check-in point,
  • Check-in and check-in luggage,
  • From the place of check-in to the aircraft during emigration, customs and security procedures,
  • Board the aircraft using appropriate lifting devices, wheelchairs or other necessary assistance,
  • From the aircraft door to get to your seat,
  • Drop off and collect your baggage on the plane,
  • Access the aircraft door from your seat,
  • Get off the aircraft using appropriate lifting devices, wheelchairs or other necessary assistance,
  • Go from the aircraft to the baggage hall and collect your baggage during immigration and customs procedures,
  • Go from the baggage hall to the designated point of arrival/departure,
  • In transit – to reach connecting flights using the assistance of the flight part of the airport infrastructure and the ground part of the airport infrastructure, and if necessary – in terminals or between terminals,
  • Go to the toilet if necessary.
  • If a disabled person or a person with reduced mobility is assisted by an accompanying person, the said person must be allowed to provide the necessary assistance at the airport and when boarding and disembarking the aircraft, if necessary.
  • Ground handling for all essential mobility equipment, including equipment such as electric wheelchairs (provided 48 hours’ advance notice is given of the assistance required and subject to possible space restrictions on the aircraft and the requirements of applicable legislation relating to the carriage of dangerous goods) .
  • Temporary replacement of damaged or lost mobility equipment, recognizing that it does not have to be the same.
  • In appropriate cases, ground services for recognized assistance dogs.
  • Transmission of flight information in acceptable formats.
Contacts that can be used to notify a disabled or reduced mobility passenger of assistance required and/or arrival at the airport

Vilnius International Airport:
Tel. +370 650 11 103
Email e- mail: [email protected]

Kaunas International Airport:
Tel. +370 620 39 878
E-mail: [email protected]

Palanga International Airport:
Tel.: +370 460 56 401
E-mail: [email protected]

Šiauliai Airport:
Phone: +370 415 42 005
E-mail: [email protected]

Assistance provided by air carriers
    • Carriage of recognized assistance dogs in the cabin in accordance with the carrier’s air carriage rules.
    • Carriage of medical equipment, two units of mobility equipment per disabled person or person with reduced mobility, including electric wheelchairs, provided that 48 hours’ advance notice is given and possible space restrictions on the aircraft are taken into account and relevant legislation relating to the carriage of dangerous goods is applied .
    • Communicating essential flight-related information in ways accessible to passengers with disabilities.
    • Upon request and in compliance with safety requirements and to the extent possible, making reasonable efforts to accommodate the needs of individual persons with disabilities or reduced mobility.
    • If necessary, help to get to the toilet room.
    • If a person with a disability or a person with reduced mobility is assisted by an accompanying person, the air carrier will use reasonable efforts to ensure that said person is given a seat next to the person with a disability or a person with reduced mobility.
Compensation for lost of damaged wheelchairs, other mobility equipment and assistive devices

When wheelchairs or other mobility equipment or assistive devices loaded at an airport or transported by aircraft are lost or damaged, the passenger who owns the equipment must be compensated in accordance with international, Community and national law. The amount of the mentioned compensation is limited to 1113 Special Drawing Rights (the currency unit determined by the International Monetary Fund, SDR), so we recommend passengers to additionally insure their transportation equipment in advance.

Appeal procedure

1. If a disabled person or a person with reduced mobility believes that this regulation has been violated, he can report the incident to the airport managing body or the relevant air carrier.
2. If a disabled person or a person with limited mobility cannot defend their rights in this way, complaints about suspected violations of this regulation may be submitted to the designated responsible authority of the Member State in whose territory the airport is located. In Lithuania, the institution responsible for supervising the implementation of Regulation (EC) 1107/2006 is the Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration.
3. If a complaint is made about an event that happened in another European Community country, it should be addressed to the relevant institution of that country.