Assisted travel

PRM Service or Assistance for Passengers with Reduced Mobility means providing assistance to individuals with any type of short-term or long-term mobility restrictions due to injuries, illness, age, or other functional impairments, such as hearing, vision, perception, learning difficulties, or incurable diseases (autism, Down syndrome, and others). It also includes invisible conditions like asthma, epilepsy, anxiety, diabetes, oncological diseases, and others.

Riga Airport treats each PRM (persons with reduced mobility) passenger as a unique individual with different needs and additional service requirements. The airport commits to providing specially tailored services to PRM passengers with respect and dignity, without discrimination, and respecting their desire to remain as independent as possible.

Highly trained PRM support staff, who possess a strong sense of responsibility and empathy towards passengers, and have extensive experience in serving PRM passengers, will carefully evaluate each assistance request. They will select appropriate mobility aids for the passenger and organize the most comfortable and suitable transportation to and from the aircraft based on the passenger’s needs.

Learn more about PRM services at Riga Airport!

About assisted travel (PRM) service in brief

Who is a PRM passenger?

A person with reduced mobility (PRM) is understood to mean any person whose mobility is reduced due to:

physical incapacity;
intellectual deficiency;
age.

PRM passengers would require additional assistance when moving around the airport.

What is PRM Assistance?

For passengers with reduced mobility, our PRM Assistance Team provides assistance from the moment of arrival at the Airport until you have taken the seat on your flight. Upon returning, you will be escorted to the Arrivals Hall, the baggage reclaim area, and then to your vehicle in the territory of the Airport.

The PRM Assistance Team will provide a wheelchair for moving around the Airport or service the passenger’s own wheelchair/specialised mobility aids. The Team also ensures special assistance to passengers with vision impairment or blindness, accompanying them to their seat in the aircraft.

Passengers travelling with their own wheelchairs must book the PRM Assistance with their airline. This can be done at the time of purchasing the ticket or at a later time, by filling in the application form on the website. The number of electric wheelchairs an aircraft can carry is limited, so this service must be booked in advance. Please make sure to notify your airline of the technical parameters of your electric wheelchair*, the type (dry, wet, gel), capacity and number of batteries.

Learn more here: Transportation of electric mobility aids.

Types of PRM Assistance

Airlines have developed a specific classification and codification system to designate the conditions of PRM’s and their specific needs. These codes are standardised, and their aim is to ensure that every operator (airline, airport) involved in the travel chain provides the passengers with the specific services and assistance they need. The following is an explanation of the codes, to be used for informational purposes only. Selecting the appropriate code remains the sole responsibility of the air carrier.

WCHR

A passenger who can walk up and down stairs and move about in an aircraft cabin, but who requires a wheelchair or other mobility device for movements between the aircraft and the terminal, in the terminal, and between arrival and departure points in the public area of the terminal.

WCHS

A passenger who cannot walk up or down the stairs but who can move about in an aircraft cabin and requires a wheelchair to move between the aircraft and the terminal, in the terminal and between arrival and departure points in the public area of the terminal.

WCHC

This category covers a wide range of passengers, including those who are completely immobile, who can move about only with the help of a wheelchair or any other mobility aids or in a special seat fitted to their specific needs. These passengers require continuous assistance from arrival at the airport until they board their flight. Assistance is provided in reverse order at the airport of destination. The WCHC category also includes passengers with a disability only affecting the lower limbs who require assistance to embark and disembark and to move inside the aircraft cabin but who are otherwise self-sufficient and can move about independently in their own wheelchair at the airport.

DEAF

A passenger who is deaf or hard of hearing or a passenger who is deaf without speech.

BLIND

Blind or visually impaired passenger.

DEAF/BLIND

Deaf and blind passenger who can move only with the help of an accompanying person.

DPNA

Disabled passenger with intellectual or developmental disability needing assistance. This covers passengers with disabilities such as learning difficulties, dementia, Alzheimer's or Down's syndrome.

Please make sure to specify the passenger’s level of self-sufficiency at the time purchasing the ticket, so that we can ensure the appropriate type of assistance.

Legal framework

In the EU Member States, the rights of PRM passengers are protected by Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2006. It defines the assistance to be provided by the airport and the airline, as well as that disabled people should receive assistance without additional charge.

How to book the assisted travel (PRM) service?

Trip to and from the airport

By public transport

One of the ways our PRM passengers can travel between Riga Airport and the town centre is bus route No. 22. These buses are equipped with a low floor, which means getting on and off in a wheelchair will be as smooth as possible.

If you are travelling from the city centre to the Airport, the final stop is located directly opposite the terminal check-in hall. If you are going from the airport to the town centre, the boarding stop is opposite the terminal, in P1 car park.

View the bus route No. 22 schedule HERE.

By car

For the convenience of departing passengers and guests with special needs, there is a temporary PRM car park marked with a special sign opposite the check-in hall of the departures terminal.

Also, passengers and guests with special needs can park their cars free of charge for 30 minutes in specialized PRM parking spaces in the Airport's short-term car park P1. To receive the service free of charge, the user of the car park should present an entry ticket and a Latvian or international parking card for people with disabilities at the Airport's Visitor Centre, which is located in the arrivals hall E. If you use the car park for more than 30 minutes, you need to pay for the extra time. Free parking time can be used once per day.

Specially marked parking spaces are available for PRM passengers in the paid P3 long-term car park.

By taxi

Taxis authorized to operate at Riga Airport are available for hire at the carriageway just outside the arrival halls. Presently, three licensed taxi brands, "XTaxi", "TaksiLV and “Red Cab”," serve the airport. These service providers are obliged to transport PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility) passengers, but the service must be requested in advance by contacting the respective provider.

Learn more abut taxi service at Riga Airport HERE.

Call points

The Airport has established two call points for passengers to conveniently apply for the PRM Assistance service and to inform the PRM Assistance Team of a passenger arriving at the Airport:

P1 short-term parking call point – located between the exits of Arrival Halls C and E by the lift, opposite the taxi stop;
P3 long-term parking call point – located at the entrance to the territory, next to the operator's office.

Terminal and territory map

Call points

Departure and arrival

Departure

Applying for the service

If you wish to receive help at the Airport, please make sure to book the PRM Assistance service at the time of purchasing your ticket. Your airline will inform our PRM Assistance Team so that we can have the right help and equipment ready for you. In cases where you are purchasing your ticket less than 48 hours before the flight, please inform us of the need for PRM Assistance as soon as you arrive at the Airport.

Upon arrival at the Airport, you will be met by a dedicated member of our PRM Assistance Team who will provide all the assistance at the check-in at the security checkpoint, as well as escort you to the aircraft seat.

Security check

All passengers at the Riga Airport are required to go through a mandatory security screening before boarding their aircraft, and this extends to our PRM passengers as well. Please make sure to pay particular attention to all mobility aids and medications you will be taking onboard.

All mobility aids, including wheelchairs, will be checked thoroughly. To get through security faster, you can specify the parameters of your mobility equipment when applying for the service.

Our PRM passengers may have to undergo a manual search. Please note that you have the right to ask for the search to be carried out discreetly, in a separate room.

Carrying Medication

You are allowed to carry liquids in your hand luggage that are intended for medical use or special dietary needs during your trip. This includes special foods, medications, and similar items. These medical and dietary liquids, including special food products, do not need to be placed in a one-liter plastic bag.

If you use specific medications (e.g. Methadone, which is classified as an opioid), make sure to carry a prescription that includes the doctor's instructions for use. Customs or security officials may ask to see this during your journey.

If you have respiratory issues and need an oxygen tank during the flight, the airline may be able to provide an oxygen supply. Some airlines charge for this service, so it’s important to check with your chosen airline before traveling. Airlines are not required to transport oxygen tanks for emergency use, but many do.

If you're unsure whether certain medications or medical devices are allowed for transport, contact your airline in advance.

On board the aircraft

Airplanes tend to have narrow aisles between the seats, so PRM passengers cannot move around the cabin in their own wheelchairs. Our PRM Assistance Team member will use additional equipment (wheelchair, narrow aisle chair, ambulift, etc.) to help you get to your seat. You will be free to use your own wheelchair to get to the boarding gate and/or the aircraft door.

Arrival

Applying for the service

The airline arriving at the Airport will inform our PRM Assistance Team on any passengers who have applied for the PRM Assistance service, and our staff will make all the necessary arrangements to meet the passenger and provide the necessary assistance.

Getting off the aircraft

Our Airport’s PRM Assistance Team has special equipment (wheelchairs, narrow aisle wheelchairs, ambulifts, etc.) to ensure comfortable disembarking from the aircraft.

Passenger accompaniment and support

All PRM passengers will be met at the aircraft by a member of the Airport PRM Assistance Team. They will provide you with all the necessary assistance in the Airport’s terminal (passport control, baggage reclaim, tasks), help you find the person meeting you get to the point from which you’ve planned to continue your travels: a bus stop, car park, or a taxi in the territory of the Airport.

Damaged or delayed baggage (mobility aids)

Has your baggage (mobility aids: wheelchair, crutches, etc.) arrived late or broken? The Airport will provide temporary replacement of the aids until your personal belongings are returned.

Transport of electric mobility aids

If you are planning to travel by air and intend to take an electric wheelchair or another mobility aid with you, please note that you have to book this service in advance with the airline operating your flight. The following terms and conditions and actions are defined by international documents governing aircraft and flight safety.

What information do I need to provide my airline when travelling with a standard electric wheelchair or mobility aid?

What is the type/model of the device?
What is the size (height, width) of the device?
What is the total weight of the device?
How many batteries does the device use?
What type of battery is used to power the device (acid battery / non-acid battery / gel battery / lithium battery)?
Is there a way to disconnect the batteries powering your device?
Does the user manual of the device specify how to prevent accidental activation?

If the battery is specifically designed to be removed for transport

The battery(ies) must be removed and the device can then be transported as checked baggage without any restrictions.
The battery(ies) must be protected from short-circuit by isolating its contacts (e.g. by covering them with adhesive tape).
The removed battery(ies) must be protected from damage (e.g., by placing each battery in a safety pouch). The passenger must take the battery(ies) into the aircraft cabin.
The battery(ies) must be removed from the device in accordance with the manufacturer's or device's instructions.
The battery power must not exceed 300 Wh.
A passenger may carry no more than one battery, the power of which does not exceed 300 Wh, or two replacement batteries, the power of which does not exceed 160 Wh each.

If you use an electrically powered wheelchair, you should notify the airline at least 48 hours before the scheduled flight. If you have any questions, please contact your airline.

To book the service and learn the detailed terms and conditions for carrying an electric wheelchair or mobility aid, please contact your airline.