Flying With a Disability: the 48-Hour Rule, the Free Pre-Notification and What Passengers Can Ask For
The ENAC draft regulation on air travel for passengers with disabilities sets a 48-hour notice, a free notification and rules on seats and mobility aids.
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- The ENAC draft regulation sets pre-notification of assistance at least 48 hours before departure.
- The notification must be free and cannot rely on higher-rate phone lines.
- Carriers may require a companion only in the specific cases listed in the articles.
On 11 November 2026 ENAC opened consultation on the draft Regulation "The protection of persons with disabilities and reduced mobility in air transport". The consultation lasts 30 days and closes on 11 December 2026: comments go by certified email (PEC) to [email protected], addressed to the Directorate for the Protection of Passenger Rights. It is not a rule in force but a proposal whose content a guide can set out in advance.
What pre-notification is
Article 6 asks carriers to let passengers flag their needs at least 48 hours before the published departure time. The notification covers the need for a companion, the carriage of mobility aids and the presence of a recognised assistance dog.
Two points are spelled out: pre-notification is free, whatever the channel, and passengers must not be forced onto higher-rate phone lines. If the notice arrives late, or not at all, the airport operator must still make "every reasonable effort" to provide assistance, as required by EU Regulation 1107/2006.
What information is requested
Article 6 lists what a tour operator or carrier may ask for: the nature of the assistance needs, a description of mobility aids with model, weight and battery type in watt-hours, a description of medical devices, any assistance dog, and the need for an on-board wheelchair.
The text also provides that passengers may add information in free text beyond the standard assistance code, and amend it later by phone or through the carrier's website. The codes come from IATA Resolution 700 (Article 5).
Seats and companions
Article 7 says carriers make "every reasonable effort" to assign a seat suited to the needs communicated. Where a seat with a specific feature is required, the assignment carries no extra charge, within the class purchased and subject to availability: it is a right to a suitable seat, not to a particular seat number.
A companion may be required only where the passenger is not independent in one of six situations: breathing, eating (on flights over 2 hours), moving from the seat to the on-board wheelchair, communicating with cabin crew, using the lavatories, or taking medication during the flight.
If something goes wrong
Article 15 sets out the complaint route: first to the airport operator or carrier, and, if unresolved, to ENAC through the application on the Authority's institutional site. Complaints are handled by the competent regional directorates.
These are air-travel rights. The network also covers sectors where the numbers and rules shift often, such as Safilo's quarterly results and the NZXT case refresh.