Assistance for passengers with reduced mobility: Taking a wheelchair on board a Kulula flight

You may need to carry your wheelchair on the plane simply by taking it with you as baggage rather than as a form of transportation for a passenger with a disability.

In this case, the stroller must be checked in (with the baggage going in the hold). For its transport, it will be ideal if the registered wheelchair can be folded and fastened firmly for its safety.

If you exceed the weight and size standards adopted by Kulula Airline for the carriage of baggage (included in the allowance), you will have to pay an additional charge to the excess baggage fare approved by that airline. This becomes necessary if you plan to travel with a wheelchair with an internal battery.

Otherwise, for chairs equipped with removable batteries, these must be removed and carried in the baggage going in the hold.

Please note that check-in for non-standard baggage requires additional time. Therefore, we advise you to arrive at the airport in advance in order to have time to carry out all the necessary steps to transport a wheelchair on the plane before departure.

A disabled passenger flies himself and before boarding the plane a wheelchair will be required to move him around the airport.

In this case, he / she will be in the wheelchair until boarding the aircraft, after which the wheelchair will be placed in the luggage compartment of the aircraft and handed over to the disabled passenger immediately after leaving the airplane.

If necessary, flight attendants will help such a passenger to get off the ground and put them in a stroller.

In this case, it is necessary to ensure in advance the ability of the airline to transport people in wheelchairs and the need to accompany such a person on the plane. For this, it will be necessary to call its customer service at least 48 hours before departure.

Note

If the weight of the wheelchair is over 20 kg, it will need to be registered during check-in. In this case, it is necessary to agree beforehand with the airport staff on the procedure for moving a disabled person before boarding the aircraft. Most airports provide wheelchairs for this.

Transporting an electric wheelchair

To transport a mechanical wheelchair on an airplane, there are no specialties other than weight and size restrictions.

To transport a battery-type wheelchair in an aircraft, it is necessary to notify the air carrier in advance and inform them not only of the weight of the wheelchair, but also of the type and capacity of the battery.

Before the flight, the battery is disconnected from the stroller, its clips are isolated to prevent short circuits.

To make it easier to prepare a wheelchair for a flight, we recommend that you have with you:

– instruction manual for the wheelchair;
– a tool for removing the battery terminals.

If the weight of the wheelchair exceeds 32 kg, the need to transport it on the plane must be agreed with the carrier no later than 36 hours before the flight.

Note

Since not all airports offer a service for the transportation of people in wheelchairs, when booking a Kulula ticket, you should clarify the information about the possibility of the flight of such a person and transportation an electric wheelchair.

Other passengers affected by Kulula special assistance

– Visually impaired people (they must travel with a passenger aged 16 or over)

– Passengers with mental illness

– Passengers in need of oxygen assistance
These passengers are expected to notify Kulula customer service of their disabilities in advance (at least 72 hours prior to departure). The airline of South Africa provides them with a special and dedicated telephone number: 0861.585.852