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Airport special assistance 

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All airports offer special assistance desks which can help you from the car park to the plane (if you need mobility assistance), or to get through the priority security queue. Your travel agent can request this for you, but it’s also worth contacting the airport yourself and making sure you are booked in for your flight date. You should also make your airline aware that you need special assistance and many will give priority boarding. 


Airlines use the code DPNA which means Disabled Passenger with Intellectual or Developmental Disability Needing Assistance. (Hidden Disabilities); if you have other disabilities you may see the following codes used: 

  • WCHR – Wheelchair assistance required: passenger can walk a short distance up or down stairs.  
  • WCHS – Wheelchair assistance required: passenger can walk a short distance, but not up or down stairs.  
  • WCHC – Wheelchair required: passenger cannot walk any distance and will require the aisle chair to board.  
  • BLND – Passenger is blind or has reduced vision.  
  • DEAF – Passenger is deaf or hard of hearing. 

You can also request a visit to the airport to help familiarise yourself and your child with what will happen, the noises and busyness. Security passes need to be arranged in advance so contact the airport as soon as you can if you want to arrange this; the airport needs more than one month’s notice. 

There are a number of ‘first experiences’ books which can be helpful to prepare children for what will happen, or use it as a distraction while you are at the airport. Some suggested books are: 

Sammy goes on an aeroplane: https://www.suziebooks.co.uk/sammyaeroplane.htm 


Busy airport: https://www.waterstones.com/book/busy-airport/louise-forshaw/campbell-books/9781529084610 


Topsy and Tim go on an aeroplane: https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/picture-books/topsy-and-tim-go-on-an-aeroplane/9781409300571.html 

When you arrive at the airport go straight to the special assistance desk and the staff will then help from there. The special assistance websites for the closest airports are below. 




Aena airports in Spain don’t formally recognise the UK Sunflower Lanyard as a means of highlighting hidden disabilities. Instead they have created a badge so that airport staff can identify those who wear it easily and improve their experience at airports. By displaying this badge, you’ll be able to access the airport’s dedicated security control for families and people with reduced mobility (PRM). If the airport you’re travelling from doesn’t have a specific security check for families and PRMs, you’ll be assisted, as far as possible, through the general security checks. The badge also gives access to a silent lounge at Malaga Airport and a sensory lounge at Alicante Airport. 


You can request the badge here: https://www.aena.es/en/passengers/travellers/passengers-with-special-needs/invisible-disabilities/invisible-disabilities-badge.html 

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