Disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility who wish to travel by air must not be discriminated. the European Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air entered into force in Switzerland on 1 November 2009.
Scope of application
This Regulation applies in Switzerland, in all member states of the European Union and in Norway and Iceland to:
- the airports in these countries and
- all airlines departing from these countries
The provisions on the carriage of disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility (Articles 3, 4 and 10 of the Regulation), as well as their ground handling, also apply to Swiss, EU, Norwegian or Icelandic airlines when they depart from a country other than these countries but have as their destination one of the before mentioned countries.
Assistance provided by airports
Assistance provided by airlines
Procedure for complaining
The obligation to provide assistance at airports includes the right of disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility to obtain defined assistance at airports free of charge (on departure, arrival and in transit).
The airlines' duty of assistance includes the right of disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility to obtain defined on board assistance free of charge.
If a provision of this Regulation is not complied with, the person concerned must first contact the airline or airport in question. If no agreement is reached, the matter may be referred to the competent authorities. These authorities will examine whether and to what extent the airport or airline has breached its obligations. The Federal Office of Civil Aviation FOCA is the competent authority that exercises supervision and to which complaints can be addressed for occurrences that take place at a Swiss airport, those committed by a Swiss airline or those that take place on departure from a Swiss airport but on an airline from a country outside the European Union (except Norway and Iceland).
The FOCA can impose a penalty in the form of a fine on the airport or airline, but claims for compensation for damage must be claimed through civil proceedings. The FOCA cannot force the airport or airline to pay compensation for damage. For further information, you can contact us Monday to Friday between 2 and 4 p.m. on the following telephone number: +41 58 465 95 96.
Further Information
Contact
Passagiertelefon des BAZL
+41 58 465 95 96
(Werktags von 14 bis 16 Uhr)