Air Canada Lets Customers Travel With Up to Three Mobility Aids at No Extra Charge

Air Canada has announced a new policy aimed at making travel simpler and more consistent for customers who travel with mobility aids, including those participating in adapted sports. Under the policy, customers can now travel with up to three mobility aids at no extra charge, covering any combination of personal mobility aids, adaptive sports equipment, personal or patient lifts, or similar transfer devices.

If a mobility aid is too large to travel on the same aircraft as the customer, Air Canada Cargo will transport it complimentary within Canada, according to the airline. The policy is intended to reduce uncertainty across the travel journey by providing a more consistent approach to how mobility aids are accommodated, handled, and supported.

“This new policy is about giving customers more consistent choices, clearer expectations and greater confidence when they travel with us,” said Kerianne Wilson, Air Canada’s Director, Customer Accessibility. “It also reflects our commitment to listening to people with lived experience and continuing to improve accessibility across the travel journey.”

The change was welcomed by accessibility advocates. Meghan Hines, chair of Air Canada’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and a Para athlete, said the policy means people with disabilities can travel “without having to explain or justify our needs,” describing mobility equipment as “extensions of our bodies, not an extra piece of luggage.” David Lyons-Black, an accessible travel specialist with Travelmasters in Vancouver, said allowing passengers to travel with more than one mobility aid “breaks down another barrier” for disabled travelers.

The policy builds on Air Canada’s broader Accessibility Plan, which includes a mobility aid tracking feature in the airline’s app, specialized lift equipment at airports across Canada, and employee training on supporting customers with disabilities. Rachael Pinnock, Chief Commercial and Impact Officer of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, said the policy will make travel “easier and more affordable for athletes at all levels of sport.”