PASSENGERS WITH DISABILITIES
AND REDUCED MOBILITY
Accessibility services for passengers with special needs and disabilities
Explore our page dedicated to passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility, where we provide you with a range of services designed to make your trip smoother and more comfortable. Our commitment is to assist you at every stage of your stay at Milan Malpensa Airport, guaranteeing dedicated support for needs related to age, motor difficulties, sensory or other disabilities that are not visible. SEA's highly qualified staff is ready to offer you assistance, even if the service has not been booked in advance. If you need support, be sure to make the request to your carrier, travel agent or tour operator at least 48 hours before departure. We care about your safety and comfort, and our team is committed to providing timely and professional assistance. Find out the details of our EC Regulation 1107/2006 compliant services, and get ready for an assisted and worry-free journey.
Our staff is ready to assist you with a variety of services
If during Your stay here You feel in need of help, whether for age-related reasons, for a sensory or physical disability You might have, for the inability of walking long distances or for any condition that requires a special attention and an adjustment in the standard passengers service, like in the presence of an hidden disability for instance.
PRM assistance procedures are a responsibility of SEA. If You have not requested the service during the booking procedures, we commit to assisting you as quickly as possible.
If you need assistance, you must make the request to your carrier, to the travel agency or tour operator at the time of booking or purchasing the ticket and, in any case, at least 48 hours before departure. Make the request responsibly and consciously according to your actual needs, in this way the airport and the airline will be able to best prepare the service in all phases of your trip. In case of failure to request, the airport will do its best to assist you as quickly as possible, however waiting times may increase before receiving assistance from one of our operators, and despite all the organizational efforts of the airport manager you could miss your flight because dedicated staff may already be engaged in assistance services regularly booked by other passengers. The assistance service involves specific times and phases: on the day of arrival at the airport it is therefore important to show up as soon as possible at one of the service activation points. Read our information boxes to find out more.
SEA services are free of charge for passengers and carried out by Sala Amica staff. Download the guide for passengers with reduced mobility 2024
FOR THE PEACE OF MIND OF PASSENGERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Booking
The 1107/2006 is mandatory in European airports, introduced by the EEC to guarantee accessible air transportation for assistance for passengers with reduced mobility and special needs.
Should you require assistance:
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Inform your airline or travel agent at least 48 hrs prior to your date of departure
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Refer to the specific PRM section on your airline’s website
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Your airline may request additional information to assist you better e.g. will you be travelling with your own chair, medical equipment, a guide dog, etc
Your airline will assign you with a IATA code which describes the type of assistance you require:
WCHR
Passenger who can walk independently inside the aircraft as well as go up and down stairs, but who needs a wheelchair or other means of transport to move for long distances inside the terminal.
WCHS
Passenger who can walk independently inside the aircraft, but who cannot go up or down stairs and who needs a wheelchair or other means of transport to move around the airport.
WCHC
Non-ambulatory passenger, who can travel with his own wheelchair and requires assistance from the moment of arrival at the airport, during all phases of boarding and disembarking of the flight, including the stay on board the plane and until the end of the flight and upon arrival at your destination.
DEAF
Passenger with partial or total limitations in hearing and verbal communication.
BLND
Passenger with partial or total vision limitations.
DPNA
Passenger with cognitive, intellectual and behavioral limitations.
Caution: are your arriving to the airport by train and you requested assistance? Contact us via our Call Points located on the railway ticket office floor
Boarding and disembarking procedures
Departure
It is possible to report Your presence as well as activate the service directly at the check in desks or through specific interphones "Sala Amica Call Points" located:
Malpensa Terminal 1
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Entrance 13, 15, 19 on the Departures floor
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Entrance 4 and 7 on the Arrivals floor
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P2, parking floor -1
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At the train station
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At car rental agencies
Malpensa Terminal 2
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P5 parking area
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Departures Area, Entrance 3
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At the train station
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Arrival Area, Entrance 7
From reporting, our dedicated staff will assist You according to Your specific needs; for example, during check in, safety and documents controls and boarding, by walking You to Your gate and, if necessary, on board of the aircraft.
When offered from the boarding area, special assistance can be delivered by walking You by feet and showing Your departure gate or pushing You on one of our dedicated wheelchairs.
Inside the airport You will find dedicated restrooms and several seating areas where You will be able to rest, should You need it while walking to the boarding gates. It is also possible to take a break in our Sala Amica lounges.
If the aircraft is parked in a remote stand, boarding will be carried out via special elevators called ambu-lifts that will allow You to board without having to climb steps.
If You need the help of a wheelchair to board the aircraft, our staff will be available to push You on one of our dedicated chairs whose size permits them to pass through the narrow aisles of airplanes. Should this be the case, passengers travelling with their own wheelchair will be assisted into transferring to the aircraft chair.
If You fly with someone, we will try to make sure, as much as possible, that he or she can accompany You during all the phases of departure.
Some of our special means of transportation inside the airport might have limited seating, therefore Your companion could be asked to give his seat up to someone else in need of assistance.
Should that be the case, we will try to organise the service with the aim of reducing the discomfort of being apart.
On Board
The airline company You fly with will assist You with its cabin crew.
Companions
If you travel with a companion, we will ensure their presence during all phases of assistance both at departure and arrival. However, during the transfer to and from the aircraft, special vehicles with limited seating may be used, and therefore your companion may be required to board the flight directly from the assigned gate or via bus. In any case, we will do our best to organize the service to minimize inconvenience and reunite you as soon as possible.
What time should I report at the airport?
Check-in, assistance and boarding procedures have times that vary depending on the flight destination and the time of day.
We therefore recommend arriving at the airport at least:
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2 hours before the scheduled departure time, in the case of a flight with a domestic or Schengen destination
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2 hours and 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time, in the case of a flight with an international or non-Schengen destination
Click here to consult the map created to provide you with a brief and approximate overview of distances and travel times.
Where can I park?
Free Parking Procedure
To take advantage of the free parking, the passenger must register on arrival at the HELP DESK terminal (touch screen) and upload all the documents required to obtain the exemption:
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Car park ticket
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Parking card for people with disabilities in the original
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I.D.
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Travel Document
At Milan Malpensa T1 the "Parking Help Desk - payments and assistance" terminal is located inside the airport, on the arrivals floor, between doors n. 6 and no. 7 (next to the post office).
At Milan Malpensa T2, the "Parking Help Desk - payments and assistance" terminal is located inside the terminal in the Arrivals area.
Attention, free parking is in any case subject to the availability of free stalls within the chosen car park.
Pick-up points
Assistance for passengers with special needs and reduced mobility can be activated directly at the check-in desks or at any of the intercoms labelled “Sala Amica Call Point":
Malpensa Terminal 1
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Entrance 13, 15, 19 on the Departures floor
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Sala Amica Terminal 1 between 09:00 am and 04.30 pm, Departures floor following the signs for "Sala Amica", street entrance from Door 12, entrance from inside the Terminal towards Check-in Areas 1-3
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Entrance 4 and 7 on the Arrivals floor
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P2, parking floor -1
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at the train station
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at car rental agencies
Malpensa Terminal 2
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P5 parking area
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it is possible to stop briefly in the areas in front of the Arrivals and Departures, to allow the passenger to reach the Sala Amica Call Point in the Departures area
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at the train station
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Departures Area, Entrance 3
Malpensa Terminals are connected with a free shuttle bus equipped to transport wheelchairs.
Short stay
Only at Terminal 1
The 15 Minutes Area is a controlled traffic area, free to all users, characterized by a system that electronically detects the time taken to enter and exit the airport area.
People with a disability badge and passengers with reduced mobility can access the Area for 15 minutes with a maximum parking time of 4 hours.
Persons with a disability badge
To take advantage of the exemption, it is necessary to fill in the form by entering, in addition to the required credentials, the license plate number and the window sticker number.
Click here to fill out the form. The form can be filled in before and no later than the 3rd day after stopping in the 15 minute area.
Passengers with Reduced Mobility who need assistance from the Sala Amica
At the time of assistance, a pin code will be delivered, which must be entered, together with the requested credentials, in the application form.
Click here to fill out the form. The form must be completed within the 3rd day of assistance.
For extended stops it is advisable to use the SEA car parks, where parking is free.
What is Sala Amica?
Sala Amica is the general name for all airport services assisting passengers with special needs and reduced mobility and are provided free of charge by SEA.
The dedicated lounges reflect the following standards to ensure passenger comfort:
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qualified personnel
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accessible restrooms (inside and/or near lounges)
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flight info screens
Where are Sala Amica lounges?
Sala Amica lounges at Malpensa are located:
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Sala Amica Terminal 1 between 8.00 am and 6.00 pm, Departures floor following the signs for "Sala Amica", street entrance from door 12, entrance from inside the Terminal towards Check-in Areas 1-3; Boarding Gates Area
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Terminal 2, Departures, central door
Indications for the visually impaired
Terminals are equipped with tactile guide paths and Braille buttons on telephones and lifts. A synthetic voice system indicates the floor at which the lift is stopping.
Inform your airline in advance if you will be travelling with an assistance dog.
Non-visible disabilities and the autism project
Milan's Airports have long paid great attention to the care of passengers with non-visible or less visible disabilities.
The aim of the assistance service provided by airport operators is to provide support, respecting diversity, empathizing with the needs of passengers, making the journey a positive experience.
Invisible disabilities may for example include: psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), (ADD), difficulty sensory processing, dementia, head trauma, learning disabilities and hidden physical health conditions, such as chronic pain, respiratory conditions, diabetes, incontinence, stoma, heart disease.
Management of needs
People with a non-visible disability know their needs and can contribute to the success of the trip by making them understood by the assistance service operators.
Independent travel or with a companion
The assistance service promotes the autonomy of all passengers. Given the very different nature of the needs of passengers with non-visible disabilities, a conscious evaluation of the person's level of autonomy during the travel experience is recommended, considering whether the level of support that the airline and the airport manager can provide are appropriate to the specific situation.
Autism - Traveling through the airport
Linate and Malpensa airports participate in the "Autism - Traveling through the airport" project created by ENAC with the collaboration of Assaeroporti and sector associations to facilitate the travel experience of autistic people and their companions. Read here to find out more.
Quality certifications
Our goal is to create all the conditions that make the travel experience for passengers with reduced mobility peaceful and comfortable.The assistance service at Milan Airports complies with Community Regulation 1107/2006 and Enac Circulars GEN 02B.
SEA's attention towards this service is demonstrated not only by our passengers but also by the voluntary achievement of the following certification:
UNI EN ISO 9001; quality management systems. Certificate issued by RINA.
The added value of this certification scheme is the annual verification of all airport infrastructures and structures, conducted by a team of auditors made up of at least one person in a wheelchair, therefore with greater awareness of the real needs of people with mobility difficulties. .
SEA, with a view to continuous improvement, has established a "Technical Committee" made up of the main associations for the protection of the rights of people with disabilities, to establish a stable collaboration between the subjects involved in these delicate assistance processes and respond in the best way to the needs of people and the requests coming from the market.
Download the ISO 9001 RINA CERTIFICATION
Contacts and useful info
For additional information on the services offered to disabled and/or reduced mobility passengers, please call (+39) 02 232323 or write to prm@seamilano.eu.
E.U. - Rights for travellers with reduced mobility
E.N.A.C. - Passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility
