Assistance Services at Košice Airport: How to Arrange Them

Flying can feel stressful for passengers with reduced mobility, but at Košice Airport they are entitled to free assistance under European law — from arrival at the terminal right through to being seated on the plane. There is one key rule to remember: you must notify your airline that you need assistance no later than 48 hours before departure. This article explains who is eligible, how to request assistance, and what actually happens once you arrive at the airport.

Who is entitled to assistance at Košice Airport

Under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility have the right to free assistance at the airport and when boarding the aircraft. This regulation applies across all EU member states, and Košice Airport translates it into concrete services for passengers. Assistance is available to passengers with reduced mobility, passengers who are fully immobile, and passengers with visual or hearing impairments. Specifically, you are entitled to assistance if you:

need help getting to the airport and moving around it,
can walk to your seat unaided but need help climbing stairs to board the aircraft,
are fully immobile and need assistance all the way until you are seated on the plane,
have a specific medical condition but do not need a wheelchair.

This also covers older passengers who simply move more slowly, or passengers recovering from an injury or surgery who need temporary extra support.

How and when to request assistance

Assistance must be arranged in advance directly with the airline you are flying with — ideally at the time of booking, but no later than 48 hours before your scheduled departure. You can request it through the airline’s website, its call centre, or the travel agency through which you booked your flight. The airline then passes this information on to the airport, which prepares for your arrival in advance. This rule applies equally to every carrier flying from Košice, including Ryanair, Wizz Air, Austrian Airlines, LOT, and Swiss/Edelweiss. You can check the current route network in the destinations section, and confirm your specific flight time in the flight schedule. For example, the same 48-hour rule applies to Ryanair flights as to every other carrier. Detailed procedures and contact information for assistance services are also published directly on the official Košice Airport website.

What happens once you arrive at the airport

On arrival, report to the passenger handling staff at check-in. An assigned staff member will then guide you through every step, right up to boarding — so you don’t need to worry about missing anything or getting lost in the terminal. After check-in, staff will provide a wheelchair free of charge and accompany you all the way to the aircraft, including through security and passport control. If you are travelling by car, you’ll find useful information in the transport to the airport section — allow extra time so staff can prepare everything calmly.

Step-free terminal and parking

Both the terminal and its surroundings at Košice Airport are step-free, from the car park all the way to boarding the aircraft. Car park P2, next to the terminal building, has three reserved spaces for holders of a disability parking permit, so neither the driver nor an accompanying person needs to cover a long distance to the check-in hall. Specially adapted toilets are clearly marked throughout the airport, and wheelchairs are available on request directly from passenger handling staff. You can find details on parking, rates and reserving a specific space in the parking section.

Medical equipment and specific needs

Medical equipment such as crutches can be taken on board the aircraft, but its transport must also be reported in advance, in the same way as the assistance request itself — through the airline, no later than 48 hours before departure. This also applies if you don’t need a wheelchair but have a specific medical condition that airport staff should know about, for example related to climbing stairs or covering longer distances within the terminal. The more precise the information you give the airline at booking, the more smoothly the assistance will run on the day.

Why it pays to request assistance in advance

Passengers who used the assistance services at Košice Airport in 2024 rated their quality at 92%, which confirms that the system works reliably when the 48-hour notice period is respected. If you’re unsure whether assistance applies to your situation, or have further questions about check-in, take a look at the FAQ section for answers to the most common passenger questions. If you’re planning a trip and looking for a better deal, it’s also worth keeping an eye on the promotional tickets section, where the airport regularly publishes current offers from carriers. When planning your trip, there really is just one thing to remember — report your assistance request in time, and the airport’s experienced staff will reliably take care of the rest.

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