Special Assistance

The free of charge special assistance service at European airports is provided in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air.

The Regulation determines that a disabled person or a person with reduced mobility means any person whose mobility when using transport is reduced due to any physical disability (sensory or locomotor, permanent or temporary), intellectual disability or impairment, or any other cause of disability, or age, and whose sithuation needs appropriate attention and the adaptation to his or her particular needs of the service made available to all passengers. In Lithuanian airports, the term "passengers with individual needs" is used.

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Special Assistance service and how to request it

For passengers with individual needs, the special assistance service at Palanga Airport includes:

meeting the passenger at the airport upon arrival by plane/car/bus/taxi;
escorting the passenger to the aircraft (to check-in, customs/security/passport control, boarding);
escorting the passenger from the aircraft (disembarking the passenger from the aircraft, escorting the passenger to customs / security / passport control / baggage claim points);
escorting the passenger with luggage (on request) to the car/bus/taxi.

How to book a special assistance service:

in advance, by purchasing the flight ticket online (an additional box must be ticked in the passenger's personal data to indicate the need for assistance). This option is available at least 48 hours before the scheduled flight;
in advance when purchasing the trip. Inform the travel agent about the need for the service;

IMPORTANT:

during rush hours, priority is given to passengers who have booked the special assistance service in advance;
when travelling with a certified assistance dog or electric wheelchair, it is important to inform the airline or travel agent from which the flight ticket was purchased in advance;
once the special assistance service has been booked and upon arrival at the destination airport, please wait in the aircraft at the seat until someone comes to meet you.

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Services at the airport

Palanga Airport applies quality standards for special assistance. They are available here.

Information below indicates which free of charge services are available at Palanga Airport for passengers with individual needs.

	Special telephone There is a special telephone in the terminal. Passengers can announce their arrival/request assistance and wait for personnel to arrive to assist them. This area can be found by entering the main departures hall near ATM.
	Private screening room Passengers with individual needs may receive private screening room in security checkpoint upon request.
	Free of charge special wheelchairs Special mobility wheelchairs are available free of charge at the airport (located next to the pushchairs). You will find them in the departure area, at the check-in desks. Please leave the wheelchair at the boarding gate after use.
	Free of charge Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard Since 2020, we have partnered with the international social project The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, therefore you can receive a free sunflower lanyard at the airport to indicate a hidden disability. Ask for it at the check-in desks or at the security checkpoint at the boarding pass scanning station. Airport personnel are trained to recognise this symbol and are ready to give you more time and attention.
	Special vehicle for persons with individual needs to get to the aircrafts Persons travelling with special wheelchairs are transported to/from the aircraft at Palanga Airport by using a trap Aviramp Continental Remote, S/N AR466.
	Restrooms for persons with individual needs There are designated restrooms for persons using wheelchairs in the terminal. Elevators are available for wheelchair access between floors.

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Arrival at the airport

It is possible to arrive at Palanga Airport by:

car (more information is available here);
public transport (more information is available here);
intercity transport (more information is available here);
chosen taxi company;
vehicle for persons with individual needs (see below for more information).

Please note that all public transport to the airport is accessible for wheelchair users.

Vehicle for persons with individual needs shall mean the transport that is adapted for people with particular needs. This service is provided by:

Maltiečiai (en. Assistance Service of the Order of Malta) "Važiuojam" (more information is available here);
Socialinis taksi (en. Social Taxi) (more information is available here).

IMPORTANT:

When travelling by car, we recommend stopping and dropping off passengers with individual needs at the short-term parking space P1 located near the passenger terminal. Parking is free for 15 minutes;
If you think it will take more than 15 minutes to drop off a passenger with individual needs, please fill in this form at least 48 hours before your flight.

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Providing information about arrival at the airport

All passengers wishing to use the free special assistance service, regardless of how it was booked, must inform airport employees about their arrival at the airport in one of the following ways:

at the check-in desk (without having to wait in the general queue);
by picking up the phone at special assistance call point (see below for information on where to find it);
by sending an SMS message to +370 698 51534 (we recommend this method for passengers with hearing impairments, please indicate in the message that you have arrived and your exact location).

Map of Palanga airport with the marked location of the call point.

The distances from the special assistance call point in the departure hall are shown below.

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Departure from the airport

Parking space for vehicles of persons with individual needs is available at the short-term parking space P1 near the terminal. Employees providing assistance will escort the passenger to this location upon request.

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Wheelchairs for persons with individual needs

During departure, the passenger can use the wheelchair all the way to the aircraft door. When boarding, the wheelchair is loaded into the baggage area and the airlines are responsible for its further transportation. On arrival at the airport, the passenger has the right to receive the wheelchair by the aircraft door.

Please note that if the wheelchair is damaged or lost during the travel, the airport will provide a wheelchair for temporary use (contact the baggage claim point).

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Other useful information

For more information regarding your rights when travelling by air, visit the European Commission website.

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Rate our services or provide suggestions

If you have any suggestions, requests or complaints regarding servicing passengers with individual needs, please contact us by email "Contact us" indicating the subject "servicing passengers with individual needs" or by phone +370 612 44442;
If you wish to rate our special assistance services, click here.

Your suggestions and comments will help us to improve the quality of our services, therefore we thank you for your feedback.

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CONTACTS

Assistance at Palanga Airport

Phone: +370 460 56400 or SMS message to +37069851534
E-mail: [email protected]

If the rights of passengers with individual needs have been violated, the passenger has the right to file a complaint with the authority responsible for monitoring the implementation of Regulation 1107/2006:

Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration
Švitrigailos st. 42, 03209 Vilnius
Phone: +370 5 278 56 02
Fax: +370 5 213 22 70
E-mail: [email protected]