Last updated: August 2026
Ryanair special assistance covers wheelchair users and other passengers with reduced mobility, run through a dedicated Assisted Travel service rather than Priority Boarding. Book it free online up to 48 hours before departure, pick the WCHR, WCHS or WCHC code that matches how much help you need, and get to the airport assistance desk two hours before your flight. Miss the 48-hour window and there is no guarantee the help you need will be there on the day.
Ready to book assistance? Go straight to Ryanair’s Manage My Booking to add your assistance code at least 48 hours before you fly.
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How to request Ryanair special assistance
Add it through Manage Booking on the Ryanair website or app, the same place you would add a bag or pick a seat.
- Open My Bookings on ryanair.com and log in to your myRyanair account.
- Select Manage this booking on the flight you need help with.
- Choose the Assisted Travel option.
- Pick the passenger who needs assistance.
- Confirm the type of assistance for the outbound flight, and again for the return if it is different.
- Save. Ryanair sends an updated itinerary confirming the assistance is on the booking.
| How you book | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manage Booking online | Up to 48 hours before departure | The only route that guarantees the assistance you request |
| Assisted Travel phone line | Up to 12 hours before departure | Subject to opening hours; not guaranteed |
| Airport assistance desk | 2 hours before departure | Required even when assistance was booked in advance |
Booked through a travel agent or comparison site rather than directly with the airline? Add the assistance request on Ryanair’s own website, not the agent’s, and do it inside the same 48-hour window. If you are past that and need to speak to someone, the Assisted Travel line is +44 20 3808 8855, open Monday to Friday 09:00 to 22:00 CET, Saturday 09:00 to 19:00 CET and Sunday 10:00 to 19:00 CET.
The Ryanair assistance codes explained
Ryanair’s assistance system runs on IATA shorthand codes, the same ones used across the airline industry. Three cover wheelchair users specifically, and each means a different level of help.
| Code | What it covers | Typical passenger |
|---|---|---|
| WCHR | Assistance through the airport to the boarding gate | Can manage steps and walk short distances, but not the length of a large terminal |
| WCHS | Assistance through the airport and up or down the aircraft steps | Cannot manage steps unaided, but can move around once seated |
| WCHC | Assistance through the airport and lifted on and off the aircraft seat | Cannot walk at all and needs full support boarding and disembarking |
Ryanair covers more than mobility. Seven more codes handle other needs, and picking the right one at booking gets the right team meeting you on the day.
- BLND, blind or vision-impaired, needs a guide through the airport to the seat and a separate safety briefing from cabin crew.
- BDGR, travelling with a guide or assistance dog and needs a guide through the airport, plus the same separate safety briefing.
- SVAN, travelling with a guide or assistance dog but needs no other airport help.
- BLDP, blind or vision-impaired but travelling independently, no assistance required.
- DPNA, a cognitive or non-visible disability, such as autism or dementia.
- DEAF, profoundly deaf.
- OXYG, in-flight therapeutic oxygen. This one has to be booked and paid for through the Assisted Travel phone line at least 7 days before you fly, not through the website.
Picking the wrong code is a common, avoidable mistake.
- BDGR and SVAN both cover assistance dogs, but only BDGR adds a guide through the airport on top.
- DPNA is worth booking even for a non-visible disability with no mobility element at all, since it flags the need for extra time or a quieter route through the airport.
- OXYG is the one exception to the 48-hour rule. It needs 7 days and has to go through the phone line.
- If two codes seem to apply, book the one that covers more. Ryanair’s team would rather stand down unneeded help than scramble to add it on the day.
Mobility equipment, wheelchairs and batteries
Two pieces of mobility equipment travel free, on top of your normal baggage allowance and separately from any medical equipment you also need. Ryanair only carries two electric wheelchairs or mobility scooters per flight, so add the equipment details when you book the assistance rather than leaving it to the airport.
| Limit | Collapsed dimensions or weight |
|---|---|
| Height | 81cm maximum |
| Width | 119cm maximum |
| Depth | 119cm maximum |
| Weight | Over 150kg needs pre-authorisation |
Battery rules depend on whether the battery stays fitted to the chair. A lithium-ion battery that stays installed, securely isolated with the key removed or the joystick deactivated, carries no watt-hour limit at all. Dry cell, gel cell and other non-spillable batteries have no watt-hour limit either way, fitted or not, as long as they are securely attached or properly packed for the hold.
| Spare batteries carried in the cabin | Watt-hour limit |
|---|---|
| One spare battery | Up to 300Wh |
| Two spare batteries | Up to 160Wh each |
Airline liability for lost or damaged mobility equipment is capped by the Montreal Convention at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights, which the airline states as approximately €1,800. You can raise that by filing what Ryanair calls a Declaration of Value before you fly, though Ryanair can charge for making it. That raises the cap to 2,262 Special Drawing Rights, roughly €2,600.
- If your equipment is lost, delayed or damaged, report it at the Lost Property Desk at your arrival airport before you leave.
- You will be given a Property Irregularity Report with a 10-character file reference.
- Submit a claim through Ryanair’s baggage claims portal, quoting that reference.
A private member’s bill working through the UK Parliament, the Aviation (Accessibility) Bill, would remove the liability cap entirely for damage on domestic flights. It has passed the House of Lords and had its first Commons reading scheduled for 1 September 2026, but it is not law yet, and does not change what you are owed today.
Seating and travelling with a companion
Book WCHC, WCHS, BDGR, SVAN, BLND or DPNA assistance and Ryanair allocates you a seat free of charge, along with one seat for a travel companion.
- For safety, that seat sits next to a window unless a companion takes the window seat instead, or the flight has enough empty seats to leave a gap.
- Emergency exit rows are off-limits to anyone travelling with airport assistance, whatever the code.
- Cabin crew may still need to move you to a different seat if it blocks emergency equipment or an escape route.
It requires an able-bodied companion aged 16 or over if you cannot manage all of the following unaided: feeding yourself, using the toilet, taking your own medication, fastening and unfastening your seatbelt when crew ask, and fitting your own lifejacket if instructed to. Crew can’t move you from your seat to the onboard wheelchair or onto the toilet, or administer medication, for safety reasons rather than choice. Book DPNA if the reason you need a companion is cognitive or non-visible rather than physical.
What to expect at the airport and gate
Get to the special assistance desk two hours before departure, even with everything booked in advance. Staff there take over from check-in, confirm your assistance type, help you through security and get you to the gate. If you travel in your own wheelchair, it usually goes into the hold at the aircraft steps and is waiting for you at the same point on arrival. Ryanair’s own airport check-in deadlines still apply on top of these timings, so check both before you travel.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 2 hours before | Arrive at the special assistance desk |
| At the gate | Ground staff take you to the aircraft steps or a lift, depending on your code |
| On arrival | Any wheelchair stowed in the hold is waiting at the same point you boarded |
Once you are on board:
- Every Ryanair aircraft carries its own narrow onboard wheelchair, which cabin crew use to get reduced mobility passengers to and from the toilet door during the flight.
- There are three toilets on a Ryanair 737, two at the rear and one at the front, all fitted with a grip bar.
- Crew can’t lift you from your seat into that onboard chair or onto the toilet itself, one of the reasons the companion rule above exists.
Your legal rights on assistance
Assistance is not a favour any airline can choose to offer. If you fly from a UK airport on any airline, or into one on a UK or EU airline, you are legally entitled to free assistance under UK-retained Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006, enforced by the Civil Aviation Authority. That covers moving through both airports, boarding and support during the flight, and getting to your final destination, not just the bit the airline itself controls.
“Ryanair can’t pick and choose when it offers special assistance. Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 makes it a legal entitlement, the same one that applies whether you’re flying a budget carrier or a legacy one. Most of the problems I hear about trace back to one thing: someone booked assistance the day before travel and assumed the airline would sort it out anyway.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
If assistance falls short on the day, raise it with Ryanair directly first through its Assisted Travel feedback channel. If that does not resolve it, the CAA can review the complaint. Keep the booking confirmation and, for equipment issues, the Property Irregularity Report from the airport.
| Who to contact | How |
|---|---|
| Ryanair Assisted Travel line | +44 20 3808 8855, or Chat with an Assisted Travel agent |
| Ryanair complaints | Queries/Feedback form in your myRyanair account |
| Independent review | UK Civil Aviation Authority, if Ryanair does not resolve it |
More on flying with Ryanair
Special assistance runs separately from every other add-on. Our guide to Ryanair Priority Boarding covers what that add-on actually buys, and confirms it does not include pre-boarding for reduced mobility either.
- Check Ryanair seat selection if a companion is travelling with you and you want to confirm seats together beyond the free assistance allocation.
- Mobility equipment does not count towards your normal allowance. See our Ryanair baggage allowance guide for what does.
- Read Ryanair airport check-in for the desk and gate deadlines that apply alongside the assistance timings above.
- Our wider guide to arriving at the airport compares bag drop and check-in times if you are connecting from a UK airport.
Ryanair special assistance: FAQs
How do I book Ryanair special assistance?
Through Manage Booking on the airline’s website or app, up to 48 hours before departure. After that, call the Assisted Travel line up to 12 hours before, or go to the airport assistance desk two hours before your flight.
What do the WCHR, WCHS and WCHC codes mean?
WCHR is help to the gate for someone who can still manage steps. WCHS adds help up and down the aircraft steps. WCHC covers being lifted into the seat for a passenger who cannot walk at all.
Is Ryanair special assistance free?
Yes. The assistance itself, plus a suitable free seat and one for a companion, is guaranteed by law when you fly from a UK airport on any airline, or into one on a UK or EU airline.
How much mobility equipment can I bring on Ryanair?
Two pieces free, on top of your normal baggage, plus any medical equipment you need. Electric wheelchairs and scooters are capped at two per flight, so add the details when you book the assistance.
Do I need someone to travel with me?
Only if you cannot manage all of feeding yourself, using the toilet, taking your own medication, fastening your own seatbelt and fitting your own lifejacket unaided. If any of those apply, Ryanair requires an able-bodied companion aged 16 or over.
Can I take my own wheelchair on the plane?
Not into the cabin, unless it is a small manual chair that folds to fit. Larger wheelchairs and mobility scooters travel in the hold and are waiting for you at the aircraft steps or the arrivals gate.
What happens if I miss the 48-hour deadline?
You can still call the Assisted Travel line up to 12 hours before departure, or turn up at the airport. Ryanair cannot guarantee the assistance you need will be available on the day.
What if something goes wrong with my assistance or equipment?
Report it at the airport before you leave. Get a Property Irregularity Report if equipment is lost or damaged, and raise a complaint through Ryanair’s Assisted Travel feedback channel if the assistance itself falls short. The CAA can review unresolved cases.
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Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
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