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Air Canada will now allow you up to 3 mobility aids on flights in
expanded policy

   Sara Jabakhanji
   | CBC News | Posted: August 28, 2026 6:36 PM | Last Updated:
   August 28

   Expanded policy announced Friday

   Image | 2230296698

   Caption: A passenger gets information from a ground crew member
   at Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal on Aug. 19, 2025.
   (Andrej Ivanov/AFP/Getty Images)
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   Air Canada announced an expanded mobility aid policy Friday
   that will allow customers to bring up to three mobility aids
   free of charge.
   Canada's largest airline said the move is to allow greater
   flexibility to customers who use mobility aids or travel with
   adaptive sports equipment.
   "Having this policy clearly defined means people with
   disabilities can travel, without having to explain or justify
   our needs," said Meghan Hines, chair of Air Canada’s
   accessibility advisory committee, in a statement Friday.
   "As both a traveller with a disability and a Para athlete, it
   is meaningful to see Air Canada recognize that the equipment we
   travel with ... are extensions of our bodies, not an extra
   piece of luggage."
   Air Canada said eligible items can include any combination of
   personal mobility aids, adaptive sports equipment, personal or
   patient lifts and similar transfer devices.
   WATCH | In 2024, passengers with disabilities face challenges
   with assistance on flights:

   Media Video | The National :

   Caption: A new CBC Marketplace investigation has found that
   some passengers with disabilities are still struggling with
   assistance on Air Canada flights, despite the airline’s
   promises to improve staffing, equipment and boarding
   procedures.
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   If a device is too large to travel on the same aircraft as the
   customer, Air Canada said cargo will transport it within
   Canada, free of charge.
   "This policy recognizes that accessibility needs do not look
   the same for everyone and that people with disabilities should
   be able to travel with the equipment they need without added
   uncertainty or having to advocate for an exception," Hines
   said.
   Rachael Pinnock, chief commercial and impact officer with the
   Canadian Paralympic Committee, welcomed the move Friday.
   "This new policy will make a significant difference in making
   travel easier and more affordable for athletes at all levels of
   sport, from recreation to high-performance," Pinnock said in a
   statement.
   "This is a testament to Air Canada’s commitment to listening
   and learning from the experiences and perspectives of the Para
   sport community."
   Last week, Canada's transport regulator ordered WestJet to
   scrap its 136-kilogram weight cap on mobility aids before July
   2027.
     * Saskatoon woman frustrated after feds give WestJet until
       June 2027 to remove wheelchair weight limit

     * WestJet ordered to scrap weight cap on power wheelchairs

   In a recent decision, the Canadian Transportation Agency said
   the country's second-largest carrier was imposing an "undue
   barrier" on travellers living with a disability by effectively
   barring some power wheelchairs from its planes.
   The regulator said WestJet should use "spreader plates" to
   better distribute the wheelchairs' weight in the cargo hold and
   arrange alternative travel with other airlines until then.

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