Yes, you can book wheelchair assistance at Indian airports for your parents, and the airline provides it. Ask for it when you book the ticket, or at least 48 hours before departure, and tell the airline what kind of help is needed. Air India says old and infirm travellers are not charged for the wheelchair.
Who should ask for it
Many families assume a wheelchair is only for someone who cannot walk at all. That is not how it works in practice. If your mother manages ten minutes of walking but not the full length of a big terminal, she is exactly who the service is for. The same goes for anyone with knee pain, back trouble, breathlessness or a recent surgery.
Cheshta's tip from hosting parents on trips: ask for it even if they say they are fine. Most parents refuse at the booking stage and accept at the gate, when the walk is 20 minutes and the queue is long. It is easier to cancel an unused request than to arrange one at the last minute.
How to book it
- Request it with the ticket. Air India asks you to tell them at the time of reservation, ticketing or reconfirmation, and to pre-book to avoid last-minute unavailability.
- Or call the airline at least 48 hours before departure. IndiGo says customers can request it with the booking through its call centre, or call after booking, and recommends doing so at least 48 hours before departure.
- Say what help is needed. Air India asks whether the traveller needs help up to the aircraft steps, the entrance or the seat.
- Ask for the same on the return flight. Do not assume the outward request carries over.
How we run this trip at The Trip Keeper
We request airport assistance for both flights while booking, and the host walks beside your parents through check-in, security and boarding, so they never wait alone.
What happens at the airport
IndiGo says it has wheelchairs at all airport locations to help from check-in to the boarding gate, with connections, and from the aircraft to the arrivals hall, subject to availability. Its meet and assist service covers boarding, deplaning, connections, check-in and collecting checked bags. Air India says that in some cases a passenger's own wheelchair is taken at the aircraft door and returned on arrival, and an airline wheelchair is used to the arrival hall.
In plain terms: you reach the check-in area, an attendant brings the wheelchair, and your parent is taken through check-in, security and to the gate. On arrival the same help takes them to the arrivals hall. Remember that the airline does not offer personal care or toileting help. IndiGo states this clearly.
Tips from our hosts
- Reach early. Reach the airport about three hours before an international flight. Assistance can take time to arrive, especially at busy hours.
- Carry documents and medicines in hand luggage. Air India asks medical-condition travellers to carry fit-to-fly papers, records and medicines in the carry-on.
- Do not skip the request just because you will be at the airport. Both airlines say wheelchairs are limited, and IndiGo says help is first come first served.
- Keep one phone number handy for the airline's special assistance desk.
A paid option at some airports
Airline wheelchair help is free. Some airports also sell an extra service. At Mumbai T2, for example, CSMIA lists a private service at Rs 750 plus taxes per trip from check-in to boarding, as an addition to the free airline help. You do not need it if your airline request is confirmed.
Questions families ask
Is wheelchair assistance really free?
Air India says old and infirm travellers and those with a medical condition are not charged. Mumbai airport's page also lists wheelchair services by airlines as free. Check your own airline's page for the flight you booked.
Do I need a medical certificate?
For a regular wheelchair request, not usually. Air India asks for a MEDIF form only for medically unfit travellers and says its medical officer takes at least 72 hours to approve. A 2014 Ministry of Civil Aviation reply in the Rajya Sabha said a medical certificate is not mandatory for wheelchairs.
Can my parent use their own wheelchair?
Yes up to the aircraft, and it is stored in the hold. Battery-powered wheelchairs have extra rules, so inform the airline at least 48 hours ahead.
What if I forgot to book?
Ask at the airline counter at the airport. It may work, but both airlines say availability is limited.
Sources checked on 22 October 2026: IndiGo special needs FAQ, Air India wheelchair page, Mumbai airport special assistance, PIB, 2014.
Planning a trip for your parents? See what families do when they cannot take leave and 10 tips for family travel with elderly parents.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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