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Malaga Airport Special Assistance and Information
I pass through Malaga Airport regularly and my experiences of special assistance have varied. However, the service has improved greatly over the last 10 years.
The experience is different depending on the airline. This is what I do, which I find works well.
NOTE: It’s usually better to state your needs rather than complain e.g. say ‘I need to be able to see the next chair before I leave this one’. Rather than ‘why aren’t there any chairs? You just left me standing’.
1. Communicate your needs in advance of travel
Firstly I go online and fill out the special assistance request form for the airport.
https://www.aena.es/en/malaga-costa-del-sol/airport-services/prm-person-with-reduced-mobility.html
This means that you are not relying on the airline to communicate with the airport what you need.
However, you still need to inform the airline. Most need 48 hours. EasyJet have an online form. Ryanair needs 72 hours before (they've refused my scooter before because I hadn't called them and they already had 'too many' onboard). Ryanair has an online form AND they need a call at least 3 days before to take details of you mobility aids.
2. Arrival and check-in at the airport
I believe you can arrange for special assistance to meet you at one of the parking areas too but I've never tried it.
When I arrive at the airport I go to the main special assistance area at least 2 hours before the flight. From there they can help you with check-in if needed. You still need to go to check-in with a mobility aid for them to put labels on it and inform the gate personnel that you're coming, even if you are hand luggage only.
You may be asked multiple times for the same information so have it to hand - weight, dimensions and type of battery of your wheelchair/scooter.
I stay on my scooter all the way to the plane door. For others they use wheelchairs and push you along.
3. Going through security
They then help me through security down a separate channel on the right of the main security queue. Security usually do a sweep of the scooter, I assume to test for explosives, and a manual pat down of my body. They ask first about any areas of pain so they don't harm me. There is also fast track assistance for autistic people and ADHD for example that find waiting and stimuli difficult (based on other passengers I've spoken to or seen). They’re given a card or lanyard that they flash to staff to make them aware.
4. From security to the plane
Once through security, there are easily accessible shops, restaurants and toilets to enjoy. See notes on toilets.
However, with special assistance they may want to take you straight through passport control to the expected gate. You get to jump the queue! There’s very little near the gates. I know of one decent sized disabled toilet there. So you need to tell the assistant if you want to stop to buy something from duty free, the cafes or use the bathroom before passport control.
After getting food etc, I go and wait at the gate and then when they are ready, special assistance lead me down and through the air bridge to the plane door. At this point they take my scooter and put it in the hold. I then walk to my seat.
With Ryanair or others that don't use airbridges, I am led from the gate to a different gate where I’m picked up by a special assistance ambi-lift (is a specialised bus that lifts up to the plane door). I’m driven with the scooter to the plane. The scooter is taken from me there and put in the hold and I am lifted up.
(It's essential to state to Ryanair if you can't stand or walk more than a few metres and that you can't do steps AT ALL. They push you at checkin and often at the gate to use their buses and stairs, perhaps to avoid the cost of using the airport facilities. There’s a lot of standing around and stairs involved if you don't get help with it.)
Flying into Malaga Airport
The special assistance when arriving by plane into Málaga Airport varies wildly with most problems caused by the airlines not effectively communicating with the airport, and disabled people not saying what they need. I think it's essential to fill out the Aena request form detailed above. And remind the crew of your needs just before or just after you land. Usually you have to wait for everyone else to get off the plane and then the ambi-lift or staff with wheelchairs come and collect you. I’m usually met by my scooter on the ambi-lift or on the airbridge. If it’s not there then ask them at this point where it is. I’m usually accompanied through passport control and if I need help with luggage at the baggage hall they will help me with that too.
Always state your needs. E.g. I need a wheelchair and cannot stand for more than 30 seconds. If you struggle to stand, do not leave your seat before seeing where the next one is. This applies to all special assistance in Spain and usually elsewhere too.
I pass through Malaga Airport regularly and my experiences of special assistance have varied. However, the service has improved greatly over the last 10 years.
The experience is different depending on the airline. This is what I do, which I find works well.
NOTE: It’s usually better to state your needs rather than complain e.g. say ‘I need to be able to see the next chair before I leave this one’. Rather than ‘why aren’t there any chairs? You just left me standing’.
1. Communicate your needs in advance of travel
Firstly I go online and fill out the special assistance request form for the airport.
https://www.aena.es/en/malaga-costa-del-sol/airport-services/prm-person-with-reduced-mobility.html
This means that you are not relying on the airline to communicate with the airport what you need.
However, you still need to inform the airline. Most need 48 hours. EasyJet have an online form. Ryanair needs 72 hours before (they've refused my scooter before because I hadn't called them and they already had 'too many' onboard). Ryanair has an online form AND they need a call at least 3 days before to take details of you mobility aids.
2. Arrival and check-in at the airport
I believe you can arrange for special assistance to meet you at one of the parking areas too but I've never tried it.
When I arrive at the airport I go to the main special assistance area at least 2 hours before the flight. From there they can help you with check-in if needed. You still need to go to check-in with a mobility aid for them to put labels on it and inform the gate personnel that you're coming, even if you are hand luggage only.
You may be asked multiple times for the same information so have it to hand - weight, dimensions and type of battery of your wheelchair/scooter.
I stay on my scooter all the way to the plane door. For others they use wheelchairs and push you along.
3. Going through security
They then help me through security down a separate channel on the right of the main security queue. Security usually do a sweep of the scooter, I assume to test for explosives, and a manual pat down of my body. They ask first about any areas of pain so they don't harm me. There is also fast track assistance for autistic people and ADHD for example that find waiting and stimuli difficult (based on other passengers I've spoken to or seen). They’re given a card or lanyard that they flash to staff to make them aware.
4. From security to the plane
Once through security, there are easily accessible shops, restaurants and toilets to enjoy. See notes on toilets.
However, with special assistance they may want to take you straight through passport control to the expected gate. You get to jump the queue! There’s very little near the gates. I know of one decent sized disabled toilet there. So you need to tell the assistant if you want to stop to buy something from duty free, the cafes or use the bathroom before passport control.
After getting food etc, I go and wait at the gate and then when they are ready, special assistance lead me down and through the air bridge to the plane door. At this point they take my scooter and put it in the hold. I then walk to my seat.
With Ryanair or others that don't use airbridges, I am led from the gate to a different gate where I’m picked up by a special assistance ambi-lift (is a specialised bus that lifts up to the plane door). I’m driven with the scooter to the plane. The scooter is taken from me there and put in the hold and I am lifted up.
(It's essential to state to Ryanair if you can't stand or walk more than a few metres and that you can't do steps AT ALL. They push you at checkin and often at the gate to use their buses and stairs, perhaps to avoid the cost of using the airport facilities. There’s a lot of standing around and stairs involved if you don't get help with it.)
Flying into Malaga Airport
The special assistance when arriving by plane into Málaga Airport varies wildly with most problems caused by the airlines not effectively communicating with the airport, and disabled people not saying what they need. I think it's essential to fill out the Aena request form detailed above. And remind the crew of your needs just before or just after you land. Usually you have to wait for everyone else to get off the plane and then the ambi-lift or staff with wheelchairs come and collect you. I’m usually met by my scooter on the ambi-lift or on the airbridge. If it’s not there then ask them at this point where it is. I’m usually accompanied through passport control and if I need help with luggage at the baggage hall they will help me with that too.
Always state your needs. E.g. I need a wheelchair and cannot stand for more than 30 seconds. If you struggle to stand, do not leave your seat before seeing where the next one is. This applies to all special assistance in Spain and usually elsewhere too.
