If you have reduced mobility and are travelling by aeroplane in the Netherlands, you are entitled to free assistance at the airport and during the flight. The Civil Aviation Authority the Netherlands (CAA NL), part of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), ensures that airlines and airports in the Netherlands comply with air passenger rights as laid out by the European Union (EU).
Assistance at the airport and during the flight
If you need assistance with check-in, transport at the airport or boarding, these are things you should know and can arrange in advance:
- Before booking a flight, check the airline's website. Here you can read about the rules that apply to flying with reduced mobility. For example, what conditions your wheelchair must meet when you are flying (in Dutch).
- When booking your flight, notify the airline or travel agent of the assistance needed. Do this at least 48 hours before departure of the flight. If you fail to do so, you will still be entitled to assistance, but you may have to wait longer.
Types of assistance for passengers with reduced mobility
As a passenger with reduced mobility, you can receive assistance with:
- Moving around the airport.
- Transporting your luggage.
- Boarding and disembarking.
- Using the toilet during the flight.
Submit your complaint to the airline first
If you feel that the airline, travel agent or airport did not provide proper assistance, first submit a complaint to the relevant party. The organisation must respond to your complaint within 2 months.
If you are unable to reach an agreement with the airline, travel agent or airport, or have not received a response within 2 months, you can notify CAA NL.
Notify CAA NL
If you cannot settle your complaint with the airline or airport, you can notify CAA NL of this using the online form Report a complaint about air passenger rights. You can do this up to 1 year after the flight.
CAA NL only investigates complaints about assistance before, during or after a flight that departed from or arrived in the Netherlands.
If you have a complaint about assistance at another airport within the EU or if your flight departed from another EU Member State, you can notify the relevant National Enforcement Body, NEB.
After notifying CAA NL
CAA NL will investigate your notification. CAA NL will then decide on your notification.
The outcome may be:
- CAA NL agrees that your air passenger rights have been breached. CAA NL will then take enforcement action to prevent this breach from happening again. You may be entitled to compensation. By submitting a notification, you are helping to ensure that air passengers receive better assistance.
- CAA NL decides that your air passenger rights have not been breached. In this case, the airline or airport has not breached the rules. Or it cannot be proven that the airline or airport has breached the rules.
This decision is final. You cannot lodge an objection, nor can you appeal.
Further information about assistance at the airport
Read more about assistance at Eindhoven Airport when flying with reduced mobility.