Barrier-free travel

Bern Airport offers travel assistance to passengers with reduced mobility due to age or handicap. We accompany and assist them from the moment they arrive at the airport to the boarding of the airplane, or vice versa. We also provide assistance at baggage drop and baggage claim, at check-in as well as passport control, customs, and security check.

Preparing for your journey

In order to ensure that you receive the assistance you need, please notify your travel agency or airline of your needs for special assistance at least 48 hours prior to departure. This applies for outbound and inbound flights.

  1. Please assess your needs realistically, especially if you require assistance when walking long distances. In Bern the distances are manageable, but this might not be the case at your destination airport.

  2. To ensure optimal assistance, please provide the ground staff with information regarding the level of assistance required.

Required information

The airlines refer to a globally applied coding system to assess the need for assistance. For this purpose we ask you to answer the following questions. The questions might seem indiscreetly, but are necessary to organize the assistance you need.

Example questions:

  1.  What kind of disability do you have?

  2.  Are you able to walk from the terminal to the aircraft or do you need a wheelchair?

  3. If you require a wheelchair, will you use your own?

  4.  Is the wheelchair foldable and/or motorized?

  5. Does anyone need to push the wheelchair?

  6.  Are you able to ascend or descend  stairs or do you require assistance with embarking or disembarking the aircraft?

  7. Are you able to transfer from your wheelchair to a seat without assistance?

  8. Do you know whether the airline can provide lavatories that are accessible with on-board wheelchairs?

  9.  What kind of assistance do you require during flight? The airline cannot provide you with meal assistance, the intake of medication, lavatory visits, or with lifting you up. If you require this kind of assistance, you will have to travel with an accompanying person

  10. What type of seat do you prefer?

  11. Do you carry medical equipment along?

  12. Do you suffer from asthma or other respiratory problems?

  13. If you are in a serious medical state you have notify your airline. It is possible that the airline  (DE) rest vom Text in excel??

Traveling in a wheelchair

When booking your flight, please notify your travel agency or airline if you require a wheelchair and whether you will use your own wheelchair. For battery driven wheelchairs, please also provide information about type, dimensions, battery type, and weight. The transport of your wheelchair is complementary, of course.

Traveling with guide dogs

Passengers accompanied by a recognized guide dog must notify the airline. Generally, animals travel free of charge in the cabin. Your travel agency or embassy can advise you on the entry regulations governing dogs. 

Public transport

By Train or Bus

You can embark the airport bus at Belp station, which is wheelchair accessible. Should you require assistance to embark or disembark, please call the Call Center Handicap (Tel: 0800 007 102) of SBB at least 1 hour prior to departure. Both, the airport bus from Belp station to the airport and the direct airport bus Bern station to Bern Airport are equipped with ramps.

By Taxi

At BETAX (Transport of Disabled Persons, Bern) Tel: 0800 90 30 90 you can call an accessible taxi with extra space for wheelchairs.

At the Airport

Arrival time at the airport

Please arrive at least 1 hour prior to departure at check-in if you require travel assistance. The personnel will assist you within 10 minutes. We ensure that you board your plane on time. If you were not able to inform your travel agency or airline in advance, we will make all efforts to ensure your access to the aircraft on time, but no guarantees can be provided.

Parking for people with reduced mobility

At the parking lot P31, 3 designated parking spaces for people with reduced mobility are available parallel to the road. The distance to the terminal is about 100m.

Assistant service at the airport

A reception area is located next to the check-in counters in the terminal.
Should you require assistance with covering the distance between parking / bus station and terminal, please request assistance in advance at 031 960 21 31.
In order for us to offer you an optimal service and reduce waiting time, please notify your travel agency or airline of your needs for special assistance at least 48 hours prior to departure.

Distances at the airport

The distances at the airport are short and offer level access.

  • The distance between the parking lot for people with reduced mobility (P31) and the terminal is about 100 m.

  • The distance from the check-in to the aircraft parking spaces is about 200 m.

Please note that the airport at your destination might be much larger.

Security check

If you desire, we accompany you through security check. Wheelchair passengers who are unable to stand up will be subject to a manual control. If you are carrying medicaments (aerosol pumps, syringes, etc.) or if you are fit with a prosthesis, keep a medical certificate with you. If you have a pacemaker, please inform the security screening staff. Please have a medical certificate available.

On board of the aircraft

Embarking and disembarking / your wheelchair

If you are using an electrical wheelchair, the battery must be disconnected. Your wheelchair will be safely stored in the hold. You can use your wheelchair up to the aircraft stairs, afterwards it will be stored in the hold. On your arrival, your wheelchair will be handed over to you at the aircraft exit. If, due to security reasons, the motorized wheelchair requires special storage handling in the hold, or if, at certain airports, the wheelchair has to be carried up the aircraft stairs, which poses a risk to the personnel, it is possible that the airline will not allow you to use your own wheelchair.

On board

Check whether you have sufficient medication in your hand luggage for the duration of flight as well as an unexpected delay. If you have limited sensory ability, the airline staff has to introduce itself and offer you appropriate support. For example, the emergency procedures must be explained to you.
Please also notify your airline, if you depend on medical equipment, such as an oxygen apparatus.

Upon arrival

Landing at Bern Airport

If you require assistance upon arrival at Bern Airport, please inform your travel agency or airline when you book your flight or at least 48 hours before departing on your return flight. Provided you have requested assistance, as described, you should receive assistance within 5 minutes. We will accompany you from the aircraft to the arrival area and assist you at customs, passport control, and baggage claim.

At the end of your journey

We hope you had a pleasant flight and have received comprehensive assistance at the airport and on board of the aircraft. If you encountered any problems, please notify the responsible authority. Complaints have to be submitted to the complaints office of the airline and/or the airport. If the reply is unsatisfactory, please contact the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA).

Your rights

Regulation (EC) Nr. 1107/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. More information on www.europa.eu.

Quality standards for assistance

If the assistance service has been reserved
Assistance on departure from or arrival at Berne for passengers who reserved assistance with the air carrier or travel agent at least 48 hours before their flight.

Departure

  • 80% should not have to wait more than 10 minutes

  • 90% should not have to wait more than 20 minutes

  • 10% should not have to wait more than 30 minutes


Arrival

  • 80% should not have to wait more than 5 minutes

  • 90% should not have to wait more than 10 minutes

  • 10% should not have to wait more than 20 minutes

If the assistance service has not been reserved
Assistance on departure from or arrival at Berne for passengers who did not reserve assistance with the air carrier or travel agent at least 48 hours before their flight.

Departure

  • 80% should wait at most 25 minutes

  • 90% should wait at most 35 minutes

  • 10% should wait at most 45 minutes

Arrival

  • 80% should wait at most 25 minutes

  • 90% should wait at most 35 minutes

  • 10% should wait at most 45 minutes

Important: The aid provided by the assistance service does not guarantee that you will depart if you do not arrive at the time indicated by the air carrier or the travel agent. If you have received no indication from the air carrier or the travel agent, you should arrive at the latest 45 minutes before the published departure time of the flight for check-in or at our reception area (next to the check-in desks). It is up to the air carrier to decide whether to accept those passengers who arrive late at the airport.


Flughafen Bern AG - Bern Airport
Tel. +41 31 960 21 31
groundservices@bernairport.ch
www.bernairport.ch