Our assistance standards

In order to make your trip as pleasant as possible, we support you with extensive assistance services. We do so in compliance with the (EC) No. 1107/2006 PRM Service regulation. On this page you will find information about

1. The basic information for providing assistance services to handicapped and mobility-impaired passengers
2. The explanation of the acronym PRM
3. The registration process
4. The scope of assistance
5. The pick-up and drop-off points
6. The assistance times
7. The training of the airport staff
8. The PRM Service quality parameters

1. The basic information for providing assistance services to handicapped and mobility-impaired passengers

"Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2006 concerning the rights of disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility" requires EU airports with an annual handling capacity of more than 150,000 commercial passengers to provide specific assistance to people with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility since 26 July 2008. The individual services and arrangements are described in Appendix I of the regulation; they are based mainly on document No. 30, Part 1, Section 5 of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and its annexes, in particular, the "Code of Good Conduct in Ground Handling for Persons with Reduced Mobility."

2. The explanation of the acronym PRM

A "person with reduced mobility (PRM)" is a person whose mobility is reduced when using transport due to any physical (sensory or locomotor, permanent or temporary) disability, intellectual disability or impairment, caused by other disabilities, or is limited due to age and whose situation requires appropriate attention and the adaptation of the service made available to all passengers on the special needs of this person [Art.2 of the EC Regulation 1107/2006].

The special needs of the eligible passengers are classified as follows using the internationally standardized assistance codes of IATA (International Air Transport Association):

WCHR are passengers who are able to ascend or descend the stairs, but need a wheelchair or other aids in order to move between the aircraft, the terminal or within the terminal itself, or between the arrival and departure area of the terminal;

WCHS are passengers who are unable to ascend or descend the stairs but can freely move in the aircraft cabin, but need a wheelchair or other aids in order to move between the aircraft, the terminal or within the terminal itself, or between the arrival and departure area of the terminal;

WCHC are passengers without mobility, who are only able to move with the help of a wheelchair or other aids and require continuous assistance from the arrival at the airport to taking their seat in the plane (or the respective seat adapted to the particular requirements) or vice versa, upon arrival;

WCHP are passengers with a disability of the lower limbs who are largely self-sufficient but need help getting in and out and only need assistance moving while on board the aircraft by means of an on-board wheelchair;

DEAF are hearing impaired, deaf or deaf-mute passengers;

BLND are vision impaired or blind passengers;

DEAF/BLND are hearing-impaired / deaf-mute and simultaneously visually impaired / blind passengers who can only move with the aid of an accompanying person;

DPNA are passengers with a mental disability or impairment who can only move with the aid of an accompanying person, depending on the nature and severity of the impairment;

MEDA (only in combination with WCH) are passengers whose mobility is impaired due to a clinical case with advancing illness, who are, however, allowed to travel with the permission of a health authority or has been told by a physician they are fit for travel.

3. The registration process

To plan the necessary services and resources, knowledge of the specific need is imperative. Only this way can the specific requirements for support be guaranteed. Therefore, the EC Directive 1107/2006 provides a period of at least 48 hours before the published departure time for the notification of a need of support. This notification must be made to the airline or travel organiser exclusively by the affected passenger - ideally when booking the flight tickets. The airport operator must be notified of the need for assistance 36 hours before departure. Registering or booking a request for assistance by the handicapped person or person with limited mobility directly to the airport operator is not legally possible.

4. The scope of assistance

Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen assistance service guarantees that PRM passengers are in the position to

• be able to report to defined pick-up points, to announce their arrival and to ask for assistance
• to move from the defined transfer points to the check-in counter
• to attend to passenger and baggage check-in
• to move from the check-in counter to the aircraft and thereby pass through the required security checkpoint and, if necessary, the border police clearance and customs clearance
• if necessary, using wheelchairs or other aids to move on board the aircraft and to leave it again to/from the seat, as required
• to store and retrieve the (carry-on) baggage in the aircraft
• to move from the aircraft to the baggage claim and to retrieve their checked baggage and, if necessary, pass through the border police clearance and customs clearance
• to move from the baggage claim to a defined drop-off point
• to reach their connecting flight in transit within the terminal building
• if necessary, to reach the sanitary facilities.

Furthermore, the handling of all necessary mobility aids, including acknowledged service dogs, is ensured. If mobility aids are damaged or lost, the owner receives a temporary replacement. The replacement need not be identical to the original equipment.

5. Pick-up points and drop-off points

Pick-up points and drop-off points are located at Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen as follows:

• At the information counter in the new terminal
• At the taxi lane in front of the new terminal
• At the check-in counter
• In the waiting areas of the gates

In justified and individual cases with prior notification, pick-ups are possible at other points of the central area of Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen. Assistance to the car park is also possible in special cases with a notice of at least 36 hours.op-off points

6. The assistance times

The following times are defined for the beginning of the assistance process:

For departures:

with notification (notification received by airport operator at least 36 hours in advance):
After entering the airport and as soon as the respective passenger has registered at a pick-up point,

• 60% of PRM do not wait longer than 8 minutes for assistance,
• 80% of PRM do not wait longer than 10 minutes for assistance,
• 100% of PRM do not wait longer than 15 minutes for assistance.

Without registering (with no notification or late notification)
After entering the airport and as soon as the respective passenger has registered at a pick-up point,

• 60% of PRM do not wait longer than 10 minutes for assistance,
• 80% of PRM do not wait longer than 15 minutes for assistance,
• 100% of PRM do not wait longer than 20 minutes for assistance.

For arrival:

with notification (notification received by airport operator at least 36 hours in advance):
After entering the airport and as soon as the aircraft has reached its parking position,

• 60% of PRM do not wait longer than 8 minutes for assistance,
• 80% of PRM do not wait longer than 10 minutes for assistance,
• 100% of PRM do not wait longer than 15 minutes for assistance.

Without registering (with no notification or late notification)
After entering the airport and as soon as the aircraft has reached its parking position,

• 60% of PRM do not wait longer than 10 minutes for assistance,
• 80% of PRM do not wait longer than 15 minutes for assistance,
• 100% of PRM do not wait longer than 20 minutes for assistance.

7. The training of airport staff

The training for the PRM assistance for the staff involved is listed below (EU Regulation, Art. 11):

• General code of conduct, required for all airport employees
• Training for PRM caregivers, the following points should be covered in detail:
• Basic knowledge (German Disability Equality Act)
• RPM definition (different types of disabilities)
• Handling the different disabilities of PRMs, cultural differences
• PRM aids and their use, handling animals
• PRM security check

8. PRM service quality parameters

• Certification
• Assisting the PRM within the specified time frame
• PRM employee training in accordance with EU 1170 Art. 11
• Quality of the equipment
• Friendliness, social and inter-cultural competence of the employees
• Language proficiency (at least English and German)
• Appropriate appearance
• Basic knowledge with regards to handling processes and necessary documents such as passports, tickets, boarding passes, security checks, customs controls
• Knowledge of the infrastructure
• Documentation about assistance performed (what type, for whom, when was it performed), statistics (EU Regulation, Art. 9)

as of 31 July 2015