Emirates provides comprehensive, complimentary wheelchair and mobility assistance across its global network. Like most international carriers, they ask that you log your needs at least 48 hours before departure so airport teams can prepare the necessary equipment.
Operating out of its global hub at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and across its international network, the airline delivers end-to-end help from the departure terminal curb directly to the aircraft seat. By aligning its protocols with international accessibility regulations, Emirates Wheelchair Assistance ensures that personalized equipment, dedicated airport handlers, and prioritized logistics are consistently available to flyers requiring medical guidance.
Note—You can request these services without providing medical documentation or a doctor’s note. If you’re not comfortable walking to your gate, simply let the airline know that you need assistance.
Does Emirates have Wheelchair Assistance?
Yes, Emirates offers wheelchair assistance services for passengers who need mobility support during their journey. These services are available for travelers with disabilities, medical conditions, temporary injuries, age-related mobility difficulties, or anyone who may need help navigating the airport.
Emirates’ wheelchair assistance may include the following:
- Help at check-in counters.
- Wheelchair assistance through the airport terminal.
- Guidance during boarding and deplaning.
- Help with connecting flights.
- Escort assistance to baggage claim or pickup areas.
Passengers can request wheelchair assistance while booking their flight, after making a reservation, or directly at the airport. However, requesting the service in advance is usually recommended to help ensure smoother coordination on the day of travel.
Core Stages of Emirates Airport Assistance
Emirates structures its airport assistance into four distinct chronological stages to ensure a predictable and highly coordinated transfer from your initial arrival to your destination exit.
Departure Terminal Arrival
Emirates recommends arriving at the airport terminal three hours before your scheduled departure time to allow for seamless check-in, tagging of personal devices, and security protocols.
- The Meeting Point: Your pre-booked airport attendant will meet you directly at the terminal entrance, vehicle drop-off curb, or the main Emirates check-in counters.
- In Dubai (DXB): If you are departing from Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport, you can head directly to the dedicated Assisted Airport Services Desks inside Departures Entrance 2 to pick up your transit wheelchair and meet your handler.
- Luggage & Screening: The attendant will manage your suitcases at the counter, ensure your personal wheelchair is properly tagged for the cargo hold or gate, and push you through fast-track security lanes and passport control checkpoints.
Boarding and Aircraft Entry
Emirates prioritizes passengers requiring special assistance by inviting them to board the aircraft first, providing plenty of time to get settled before general boarding begins.
- Gate Transition: Your attendant will guide you to the departure gate and coordinate directly with the podium agents.
- Remote Stands & Buses: If your flight is parked at a remote stand rather than connected directly to a jet bridge, Emirates transfers you via wheelchair-accessible airport buses.
- Aisle Chair Transfer: At the aircraft door, you will transfer to a specialized, narrow aisle chair if you cannot walk down the tight cabin rows. Ground crews will help secure you and slide you laterally into your seat.
Connections and Transits
If you are connecting between flights, Emirates ensures your transition is fully mapped out across the terminal building.
- Deplaning Last: For your safety and comfort, you will remain in your cabin seat at the layover airport until the rest of the passengers have completely exited the plane.
- Concourse Transfer: A new transit attendant will meet you at the aircraft door with a transport chair. They will navigate the terminal layouts, elevators, and concourse trains to escort you safely to your connecting gate.
- Rest Stops: If you have an extended layover, you can request that your attendant pause along the route at accessible restrooms, dining areas, or designated quiet zones.
Destination Arrival and Exit
The assistance process concludes systematically once you land at your final destination city.
- The Deplaning Process: Similar to transiting, you will exit the aircraft last. Ground staff will bring your gate-checked personal wheelchair up to the jet bridge door or meet you with an airport transport chair.
- Baggage and Customs: Your handler will escort you through the local immigration lines, assist you with lifting your checked luggage from the baggage claim carousel, and guide you through the customs exit.
- Ground Transport: The service finishes once the attendant guides you directly to the passenger pickup curb, taxi stands, or airport shuttle transfers outside the arrivals hall.
How Do I Request Wheelchair Assistance on Emirates?
Emirates Wheelchair Request is free of charge, and it is best to do so at least 48 hours before your flight so the airport team can prepare.
There are three direct ways to add this request to your itinerary:
Through the Emirates Mobile App
- Open the app and tap Trips on the bottom navigation bar.
- Select the upcoming flight you want to edit.
- Scroll down to Edit Traveler Details and select Edit under the passenger who needs assistance.
- Scroll to ‘Special travel needs’ and open the ‘Special accommodations’ section.
- Choose the specific level of wheelchair service needed (such as “Cannot walk long distances”) and tap Save to reservation.
Online via Emirates.com
- During Booking: When entering passenger information, look for the Traveler information section and select your required mobility accommodations before completing the purchase.
- After Booking: Go to the My Trips section on the homepage, enter your confirmation number and last name, look for the special assistance options, and check the box for wheelchair services.
Emirates Wheelchair Assistance Contact Number
If you prefer to speak with someone, or if you are checking your own complex motorized wheelchair, call Emirates’ dedicated Accessibility Desk directly at +18007773999. They can log the exact type of assistance you need and answer questions about checking personal mobility devices.
Even if you saved the request in your reservation, you must explicitly identify yourself to an Emirates employee when you arrive. You can do this at the curbside center, the main check-in counter, or the customer service desk to activate your assistance.
Can You Bring Your Own Wheelchair on Emirates?
Yes, you can absolutely bring your own wheelchair on Emirates. Under the Air Carrier Access Act, you have the right to travel with your personal mobility equipment, and Emirates provides specific accommodations to make the process as smooth as possible.
- Check-In Options: You can use your personal manual or battery-powered wheelchair through the terminal directly to the aircraft door
- In-Cabin Storage: If you have a manual, collapsible wheelchair, you can request to store it in the cabin’s dedicated assistive device closet. This space is limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis during priority pre-boarding; if full, your chair will be gate-checked instead.
- Motorized Devices: Electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters must be checked into the cargo hold.
Essential Onboard and Airport Mobility Equipment
Emirates Wheelchair Assistance provides various accessibility equipment to help passengers move more comfortably through the airport.
- Airport Wheelchairs: Emirates provides complimentary manual wheelchairs at all of its global airport stations to help you navigate terminal walkways comfortably.
- Aisle Wheelchairs: For non-ambulatory passengers, Emirates provides narrow, specialized aisle wheelchairs at the boarding gate.
- Onboard Wheelchairs: Every Emirates aircraft featuring more than 60 passenger seats carries a collapsible onboard wheelchair in its safety storage areas. During flight, cabin crews can deploy this chair to help you move safely between your seat and the aircraft lavatory door.
Service Animals
Emirates Wheelchair Boarding Policy permits certified service animals to travel directly inside the passenger cabin on select routes, subject to strict verification. You must coordinate with the airline’s special assistance team well in advance to validate your animal’s health credentials and confirm your itinerary permits cabin transit.
Special Assistance for Minors and Families
Emirates also offers additional travel assistance services for minors, families with young children, and passengers who may require extra guidance during their airport journey.
Unaccompanied Minors Service
Emirates provides dedicated supervision for children traveling without a parent or legal guardian. The program is structured by age group and has specific geographical exceptions:
- Ages 5 to 11: Mandatory enrollment. Children flying alone in this bracket must be booked under a standard adult fare. This adult fare rule also applies if a child under 11 travels with a youth under 16, as the teenager is not legally old enough to act as an official guardian.
- Ages 12 to 15: Optional service. Young passengers in this bracket can fly alone on an adult fare, but parents can purchase the dedicated Unaccompanied Minor service for an additional fee of USD 50 per youth for each leg of the journey.
- Transit & Connection Limits: Unaccompanied minors are limited to a maximum connection time of 4 hours when transferring to another airline, or 8 hours if transferring between Emirates flights in Dubai. The airline does not permit overnight layovers or transfers that require changing local airports unless you arrange for a private adult guardian to meet the child at the transit point.
Traveling with Infants and Young Children
Emirates provides specific arrangements to help families traveling with infants and young children navigate their journey more comfortably.
- Lap Safety and Seating: Infants under two years old can travel on an adult’s lap using an infant seat belt extension provided by the cabin crew. If you purchase a dedicated seat for an infant under two but do not bring an approved car seat, you must securely hold them on your lap during taxi, take-off, landing, and periods of turbulence.
- Approved Car Seats & Restraints: If an infant occupies their own aircraft seat, they must be secured in a forward-facing child restraint device (CRD) or car seat approved by the FAA, Transport Canada, or European safety authorities (bearing orange ECE R44/R129 labels). The device must be secured via a standard 2-point aircraft lap belt rather than a 3-point shoulder harness.
- Banned Comfort Devices: To comply with safety risks identified by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), children’s ride-on suitcases, leg-rest extensions, and seat-expansion products (such as Bedbox, Fly Legs-up, and FLY-Tot) are completely prohibited from use onboard. These items must remain stored untouched inside the overhead lockers for the duration of the flight.
Conclusion!
Navigating overseas travel with limited mobility does not have to be difficult. Emirates Wheelchair Assistance offers comprehensive accessibility that ensures travelers have a dignified and smooth journey from the departure gate to their final destination’s luggage carousel. By providing end-to-end terminal escorts, the airline ensures that external barriers are reduced at all stages of transportation.
To ensure a perfectly seamless travel day, enter your unique mobility requirements using the Manage Your Booking page at least 48 hours before your flight’s departure. Taking this small proactive action provides you with complete peace of mind, knowing that trained professionals and specific mobility assets are waiting to assist you.
FAQs
Yes. Emirates provides complimentary wheelchair assistance and airport escorts to all passengers who require mobility support.
To ensure a smooth journey, please let your nearest Emirates Contact Centre know at least 48 hours before you fly. Call at +18007773999.
Yes. You can bring up to two mobility aids for free. They do not count toward your standard baggage allowance. Depending on the size and aircraft space, they will either be stowed in the cabin or packed into the cargo hold.
You should make your request at the time of booking, or at least 48 hours before your flight, through the Manage Your Booking section on the Emirates website or app.
An Emirates staff member will meet you at the aircraft door and assist you through transit and security to your next boarding gate. Dedicated assisted services desks are also available throughout Terminal 3 if you need immediate help.
Yes. Emirates flights are equipped with specially designed onboard wheelchairs that fit the narrow aisles, allowing you to move to and from the lavatory during the flight with the assistance of the cabin crew.