Disabled passengers

Hearing impaired passengers

Hearing impaired passengers refer to those who are deaf or have severe hearing impairment.

For safety reasons, hearing impaired passengers under the age of 16 are not allowed to travel alone, but should be accompanied by adult passengers over the age of 18 with full civil capacity.

In order to ensure the smooth travel of passengers with hearing disabilities, unless otherwise required by the local government or health authorities, we can provide necessary guidance and assistance services for passengers with hearing disabilities traveling alone for free.

Service reservation

If you need this service, you can book it through the website of Air China, the APP of Air China, the hotline of Air China, the ticketing office directly under Air China and the sales agent.

Check in

(1) Time limit for check-in: Please arrive at the check-in counter at least 120 minutes before the scheduled departure time for check in.

(2) Checked baggage and non-checked baggage: For the transportation regulations of small auxiliary equipment used in the journey carried by disabled passengers, please refer to the Passengers with aids.

(3) Seating arrangement: We will arrange passengers with hearing disabilities to be close to the emergency evacuation hatch and the steward. However, for the sake of cabin safety, we cannot arrange emergency exit seats for passengers with hearing disabilities.

In-flight service

We will provide service support for passengers with hearing impairment who travel alone in the cabin as much as possible, but we are unable to provide the following services: assistance with eating or medical services.

Visually disabled passengers

Passengers with visual disabilities refer to those who are totally blind, amblyopic or have eye diseases and are unable to move completely.

For safety reasons, blind passengers under the age of 16 should be accompanied by adults over the age of 18 with full civil capacity.

In order to ensure the smooth travel of passengers with visual disabilities, unless otherwise required by the local government or health authorities, we can provide necessary guidance and assistance services for passengers with visual disabilities traveling alone for free.

In order to meet the requirements of the Civil Aviation Administration of China for flight operation safety, we impose restrictions on the number of disabled passengers that can be carried onboard each type of aircraft on separate trips. Please contact us to book this service as soon as possible after you confirm your travel plan, so as to prevent you from being unable to travel on schedule due to exceeding the carrying capacity after you arrive at the airport.

Service reservation

If you need this service, you can book it through the website of Air China, the Air China APP, the Air China hotline, the ticket office directly under Air China or an authorized sales agent.

Check in

(1) Time limit for check-in: Please arrive at the check-in counter at least 120 minutes before the scheduled departure time for check in.

(2) Checked baggage and non-checked baggage: For the transportation regulations of small auxiliary equipment used in the journey carried by disabled passengers, please refer to the Passengers with aids.

(3) Seating arrangement: We will arrange for visually impaired passengers to be close to the emergency evacuation door and the steward. However, for the sake of cabin safety, we cannot arrange emergency exit seats and Boeing B747 upper cabin seats for visually impaired passengers.

(4) Services in the terminal: unless otherwise required by the local government or health department, we will provide necessary guidance services in the terminal for passengers with visual disabilities to assist in check-in, baggage check/claim and joint inspection procedures.

In-flight service

We will provide service support for passengers with visual disabilities who travel alone in the cabin as much as possible, but we are unable to provide the following services: such as assisting in actual eating, assisting in the toilet, assisting in the excretion function on the passenger's seat, or providing medical services.

Passengers traveling with Service Dogs in the Cabin

Service dogs refer to special dogs specially trained to provide assistance for disabled people's life and work, including guide dogs, hearing dogs, etc. Emotional comfort dogs, which are not a service dogs, are subject to check-in formalities as well as the standards on small animal transport.

Passengers with visual/auditory disabilities who travel with cabin transport service dogs alone must be at least 16 years old.

The service dogs shall have the following certificates which must be shown to us when at the time of ticket purchase and travel.

1. Valid official quarantine certificates, rabies vaccination certificates and corresponding professional training certificates issued by the country of the departure station, transit station or destination station.

2. When entering China or taking international (or regional) transit domestic flights, service dogs must have valid chips.

In addition, when taking international flights, please pay attention to the quarantine regulations of the entry-exit countries on service dogs in advance and ensure that they meet the requirements of the entry-exit countries.

In order to meet the requirements of Civil Aviation Administration of China for flight operation safety, we impose restrictions on the number of disabled passengers with cabin transport service dogs that can be carried onboard each aircraft type. Please contact us to book this service as soon as possible after you confirm your travel plan, so as to prevent you from being unable to travel on schedule due to exceeding the carrying capacity after you arrive at the airport.

We may refuse to transport service dogs if any of the following conditions occur:

—The service dog poses a direct threat to the health or safety of us or other passengers;

—The service dog causes serious interference in the cabin or at the airport gate;

—It will violate the regulations or requirements of relevant government agencies to travel with the service dogs.

If we refuse to transport service dogs, we will provide written explanations within 10 days after the refusal of transport, if you need.

Service reservation

If you need to take a service dog to travel, please make a reservation through the ticket office directly under Air China or an authorized sales agent 48 (including) hours before the flight takes off.

Check in

(1) Time limit for check-in: Please bring your service dog to the check-in counter for check-in at least 120 minutes before the estimated departure time of the flight.

(2) Checked baggage and non-checked baggage:

Disabled passengers and service dogs that meet our boarding requirements do not need to pay any additional fees for their service dogs. If the passenger agrees to check the service dog, we can check the service dog together with the container and food free of charge according to the small animal transport procedure, and its weight is not included in the passenger's free baggage allowance.

For the transportation regulations of small auxiliary equipment used in the journey carried by disabled passengers, please refer to the Passengers with aids.

(3) Seating arrangement: If the applicable safety requirements permit, the service dog shall be held or seated in front of the disabled passenger, and shall not occupy the space of other passengers. For the sake of cabin safety, disabled passengers with service dogs cannot sit in the emergency exit seat of the aircraft and the upper cabin seat of Boeing B747.

(4) Services in the terminal: unless otherwise required by the local government or health authorities, we will provide necessary guidance services in the terminal for disabled passengers with cabin transport service dogs, and assist in check-in, baggage check/claim and joint inspection procedures.

In-flight service

We will provide service support to disabled passengers who travel alone with service dogs in the cabin as much as possible.

However, we are unable to provide the following services: assistance in eating, assistance in the toilet, assistance in excretory function on the passenger's seat, or medical services.

When boarding, the service dog shall wear a work shirt and tie a towing rope. With the consent of the relevant passengers, you may not be required to wear a mouthpiece for the service dog. The service dog shall not occupy the seat or run at will, and shall not affect other passengers. Disabled passengers with service dogs shall be responsible for the excretion of dogs in the cabin and ensure that the onboard hygiene is not affected. If the service dog causes personal injury or material damage to us or other passengers, the disabled passengers with the service dog shall bear corresponding liability for compensation.

Wheelchair passengers

On the flights operated by Air China, we can provide wheelchair ramp, wheelchair steps and wheelchair cabin services for disabled passengers and injured passengers with mobility disorders. Please select the appropriate wheelchair services according to the physical conditions of passengers.

I. Wheelchair ramp

We can provide wheelchair ramp service for passengers who are able to get on and off the plane by themselves and can walk to their seats in the cabin, and who only need to use a wheelchair to travel between the terminal, the tarmac and the aircraft. These passengers include elderly passengers aged 65 or over on the day of the scheduled departure, disabled passengers, as well as injured or ill passengers suffering from reduced mobility or leg injuries.

II. Wheelchair steps

We provide wheelchair steps service for disabled passengers and injured passengers who can not get on or off the plane by themselves but can walk to their seats in the cabin.

III. Wheelchair cabin

On the flights operated by Air China departing or arriving from Chengdu, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Dalian, Hohhot, Urumqi and Beijing Capital International Airport, we provide wheelchair cabin services for disabled passengers and injured and sick passengers without independent mobility, and assist passengers to move in or out of the seats and to and from the toilet.

In order to meet the requirements of the Civil Aviation Administration of China for flight operation safety, we impose restrictions on the number of wheelchair passengers on board carried on each type of aircraft for independent travel. Please contact us to book this service as soon as possible after you confirm your travel plan, so as to prevent you from being unable to travel on schedule due to exceeding the carrying capacity after you arrive at the airport.

Service reservation

If you need to book the wheelchair ramp service, please make a reservation through Air China official website, Air China APP, Air China hotline, Air China ticket office and sales agent within the following time limits.

(1) Domestic routes: before 16:00 on the day before departure.

(2) International and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, China routes: 48 hours before the scheduled flight departure time

If you need to book the wheelchair steps service, please make a reservation through the official website of Air China, the Air China APP, the Air China hotline, the direct ticket office of Air China and the sales agent before 16:00 the day before the flight takes off.

If you need to book wheelchair cabin service, please make a reservation through the Air China APP, the ticket office directly under Air China and the authorized sales agent before 16:00 the day before the flight takes off.

Check in

(1) Time limit for check-in: passengers who reserve wheelchair service should arrive at the check-in counter at least 90 minutes before the estimated departure time of the flight to check in.

(2) Checked baggage and non-checked baggage: For the transportation regulations of small auxiliary equipment used in the journey carried by disabled passengers or injured and sick passengers, please refer to the Passengers with aids.

(3) Seating arrangement: we will arrange the passengers who apply for wheelchair service at the position close to the emergency evacuation hatch and the steward or toilet. However, for the sake of cabin safety, we cannot arrange emergency exit seats and Boeing B747 upper cabin seats for passengers who apply for wheelchair service.

(4) Terminal services: unless otherwise required by the local government or health authorities, we will provide wheelchairs and wheelchair pushing services for passengers applying for wheelchair services, and assist in check-in, baggage check/claim and joint inspection procedures. Each wheelchair is limited to one person.

In-flight service

We will provide service support as much as possible in the cabin for passengers who apply for wheelchair service when traveling alone.

However, we are unable to provide the following services: assistance in eating, assistance in the toilet, assistance in excretory function on the passenger's seat, or medical services.

Passengers with intellectual or mental disabilities

For safety, passengers with intellectual or mental disabilities shall not behave in a way that affects other passengers or flight safety, otherwise we can refuse carriage. We strongly recommend that passengers with intellectual or mental disabilities should be accompanied when traveling. The accompanying person must ensure that the disabled can be effectively controlled and help them evacuate from the aircraft in case of emergency.

In order to meet the requirements of the Civil Aviation Administration of China for flight operation safety, we impose restrictions on the number of passengers with intellectual disabilities or mental disabilities who can be carried by each aircraft type for independent travel. Please contact us as soon as possible after confirming the travel plan to avoid passengers being unable to travel on schedule due to exceeding the carrying capacity after arriving at the airport.

Service reservation

For passengers with intellectual or mental disabilities, please inform us through the ticket office directly under Air China or our authorized sales agents.

Check in

(1) Time limit for check-in: Please arrive at the check-in counter at least 120 minutes before the scheduled departure time to check in.

(2) Checked baggage and non-checked baggage: same as ordinary passengers.

(3) Seating arrangement: We will arrange window seats at the rear of the cabin for passengers with intellectual or mental disabilities. However, for the sake of cabin safety, we cannot arrange emergency exit seats and Boeing B747 upper cabin seats for passengers with intellectual or mental disabilities.

(4) Services in the terminal: unless otherwise required by the local government or health department, we will provide necessary guidance and assistance in the terminal for passengers with intellectual disabilities or mental disabilities who travel alone. We will also assist in handling the above procedures according to the needs of the accompanied passengers with intellectual disabilities or mental disabilities.

In-flight service

We will provide service support for passengers with intellectual disabilities or mental disabilities who travel alone in the cabin as much as possible.

However, we are unable to provide the following services: assistance in eating, assistance in the toilet, assistance in excretory function on the passenger's seat, or medical services.

Passengers with aids

Passengers with checked in electric wheelchairs

1. Transportation requirements

For passengers who need to use an electric wheelchair or an electric devices for mobility due to temporary mobility restriction or due to disability, health, age, or leg fracture, such electric wheelchair or an electric devices can be transported as checked baggage without being included in the passenger's free baggage allowance, provided that the provisions on the transport of dangerous goods are met.

There is no limit on the number of wheelchairs checked on American routes; for other routes, the total number of checked electric wheelchairs/electric walking tools and manual folding wheelchairs shall not exceed 2.

Electric wheelchairs or electric walking aids shall not be brought into the cabin, and must be checked in at the check-in counter. If you need to check in, please arrive at the airport check-in counter 2 hours (inclusive) before the deadline for ordinary passengers to check in.

2. Capacity limits of lithium battery powered wheelchairs

If the electric wheelchair you carry is powered by lithium battery, its rated battery energy shall not exceed 300Wh. If it must be driven by two batteries, the rated energy of any one of them shall not exceed 160Wh. At the same time, one spare battery with rated energy no more than 300Wh or two spare batteries with rated energy no more than 160Wh can be carried. Lithium battery shall be carried by passengers, and shall not be transported beyond the capacity range.

Passengers with other assistive devices

Assistive devices are devices used by the disabled/injured passenger as means of support in their life and work. Assistive devices include non-electric wheelchairs, walking aids, crutches, etc. that need to be used by a passenger during their journey because of limited mobility due to a disability or health problem.

To prevent loss or damage, the checked assistive devices shall be disassembled and packed to the largest extent possible.

1. The following small equipment (limited to one piece per person) can be brought into the cabin or checked for free:

Manual folding wheelchairs, crutches, artificial limbs, electronic cochlea, hearing aids, blind sticks, blind glasses, visual aids, etc. with a size of no more than 33 * 91 * 106CM.

The devices brought into the cabin shall be placed in the baggage rack or under your front seat. If it cannot be placed in the above way, or due to overweight, or for safety reasons, it shall be transported as checked baggage.

2. In addition to the above small equipment, one item of the following auxiliary equipment can also be checked for free:

(1) Any of the above small equipment

(2) Manual wheelchair

(3) Electric wheelchair or electric walking tool

(4) Mechanical prosthesis and professional small gas cylinder

Passengers Traveling With Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POCs) or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

Medical oxygen is generally stored in high-pressure cylinders, which falls into the category of dangerous goods in air transport. The Civil Aviation Administration of China does not allow passengers to carry any equipment used to store, produce or distribute oxygen on board.

Portable oxygen concentrators allowed in the cabin refer to the equipment that separates oxygen in the air through molecular sieve technology and provides users with oxygen with an oxygen concentration ≥ 90 ± 3%. The equipment does not have pressure storage parts, and the distribution mechanism does not have pressure and does not generate oxygen autonomously. The equipment should meet our requirements. Please read and fill in the Passenger Notification before applying.

On flights operated by Air China, passengers who carry portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) and continuous positive pressure ventilators (CPAPs) onboard, can use such devices during the cruise to improve their physical comfort.

Passengers who need to use portable oxygen concentrators continuously throughout the journey must meet the following requirements:

Passengers who continuously use portable oxygen concentrators throughout the flight shall provide a certificate issued by a medical institution with a doctor's signature and seal indicating that they are suitable for the flight and issued no earlier than 10 days before the flight date. If the certificate indicating that you are suitable for travel is issued by your personal doctor or family doctor, you also need to attach the doctor's qualification certificate of the issuing doctor.

Requirements for portable oxygen concentrators

Portable oxygen concentrators must be certified and authorized by the U.S. Aviation Administration (FAA), and effective signs shall be carried on the outside of the equipment.

The service time of the batteries and backup batteries carried shall not be less than the flight duration plus 3 hours.

But at the same time, the total number of spare lithium batteries of portable oxygen concentrators and the total number of spare lithium batteries that we allow passengers to carry all portable electronic devices should not exceed 20.

Of the batteries, there shall be no more than two lithium-ion batteries with an energy of more than 100 watt hours but not more than 160 watt hours or lithium metal batteries with a lithium content of more than 2 grams but not more than 8 grams, provided that we agree to carry them.

If the rated energy exceeds 160W and the lithium content exceeds 8g, it shall not be transported.

Service reservation

If you need to carry a portable oxygen concentrator, please apply at the ticket office directly under Air China 48 hours before the flight takes off, or at the check-in counter 2 hours before the flight takes off.

Check in

(1) Time limit for check-in:

Passengers who have applied through the ticket office directly under Air China are requested to arrive at the check-in counter to check in at least 60 minutes before the estimated departure time of the flight.

Passengers who fail to apply through the ticket office directly under Air China, please arrive at the check-in counter at least 120 minutes before the estimated departure time of the flight to check in.

(2) Necessary inspections: passengers need to show or fill in the Passenger Notice, and our staff will also check the diagnosis certificate and the certification of portable oxygen concentrator.

(3) Seating arrangement: We will arrange for passengers with portable oxygen concentrators at the window, but for the sake of cabin safety, we cannot arrange emergency exit seats for you.

In-flight service

We do not promise to provide passengers with on-board power supply. Please make sure that your batteries meet the needs of the whole journey+3 hours in advance.

We will pay attention to the physical condition and lithium battery status of passengers with portable oxygen concentrators during flight, and carry out rescue in case of emergency.

Number of disabled passengers and accessibility facilities on board

Number of disabled passengers carried by each aircraft type

(The above restrictions do not apply to US routes)

On board accessibility facilities

On board seat armrests: In all types of aircraft we operate, except for the economy class emergency exit and the seat armrests in the first row behind the economy class bulkhead, the rest of the seats are easily accessible for passengers with physical disabilities, easy for them to enter and exit.

Accessible toilet: We have an accessible toilet on B747-8/B777-300ER/B787-9 aircraft. After the partition of two side by side toilets in A350 economy class is opened, an accessible toilet appears.