All airlines Asia Pacific
Hong Kong Airlines
Powered wheelchairs accepted · carried free · 72 h notice · no watt-hour cap on an installed battery.
- Advance notice
- 72hours before departure
- Powered wheelchair
- Yes
- Lithium, battery installed
- No stated limit
- Cost to carry
- Free
Who to contact
Transcribed from the airline’s own pages, exactly as it labels them.
- PhoneHong Kong SAR — Customer Service Centre
- PhoneMainland China — Customer Service Centre (local service only) 95071500
- PhoneUS & Canada — Customer Service Centre
- PhoneAustralia — Customer Service Centre (overseas charge may apply if calling from outside Australia)
- PhoneBaggage enquiries — lost / delayed / DAMAGED baggage (SATS HK)Mon-Sun 07:30-23:00
- EmailCustomer Service Centre — hkairlines.com is Hong Kong Airlines' own mail domain
- EmailBaggage lost / delayed / damaged — SATS HK, the ground handler Hong Kong Airlines names; a third-party mailbox, not an airline one
- Online form
- Relay / textOn the US & Canada line: "If you are using a TTY/TDD device, dial 711 to connect through the Relay Service". Live Chat and WeChat are also offered from the website footer.TTY / TDD via US Relay Service
The Travel Assistance Request Form is a JavaScript single-page form on the hongkongairlines.com portal. The Traditional Chinese page (zh_HK) carries the identical battery table; nothing extra is published in Chinese.
Read it from the source
Powered wheelchairs & batteries
The part that goes wrong. Battery chemistry and watt-hours decide whether your chair flies, and the rules differ depending on whether the battery can be removed.
"We accept all types of battery powered wheelchairs in the cargo compartment (i.e. wheelchairs with dry cell battery, wet cell battery, gel cell battery or non-spillable electric storage batteries)." Electric-powered wheelchairs must be checked in at the check-in counter before entering the restricted area — they cannot be taken to the gate.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"Lithium-ion battery powered wheelchairs or other similar mobility aids can be carried as checked baggage, provided that the battery must be of a type which meets the United Nations (UN) test requirements as specified in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part III Section 38.3."
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Explicitly unlimited: "There is no maximum watt-hour limit if the lithium battery(ies) remains in the device" — provided the battery is protected against damage by the design of the wheelchair, securely attached, and the electrical circuits are isolated per the manufacturer's instructions.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 旅遊協助 (Travel Assistance, Traditional Chinese) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"The maximum removed battery size is 300Wh, or for devices fitted with two batteries, 160Wh each." A removed battery must have its terminals covered/taped, be placed individually in a protective pouch and be taken into the cabin. Removal is required only where the design does not adequately protect the battery.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"One spare lithium ion battery at a maximum of 300Wh; or two spare lithium ion batteries at a maximum of 160Wh each."
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Maximum two. Lithium-ion: one spare up to 300 Wh OR two spares up to 160 Wh each. Non-spillable wet: one spare. Nickel-metal hydride: two spares. Dry batteries: two spares. Spillable batteries: "No spare batteries allowed".
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Depends on the design. The battery may stay installed if it is protected against damage by the design of the chair, securely attached, and the electrical circuits are isolated per the manufacturer's instructions. It must be removed if the design does not provide adequate protection or the battery is not securely attached.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Non-spillable wet batteries complying with IATA Special Provision A67 may stay installed if securely attached, protected by the design of the aid and with circuits isolated, or be removed with terminals taped and placed in strong rigid packaging secured in the cargo hold. NiMH (A199) and dry (A123) batteries are also accepted.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Spillable batteries accepted with conditions: "Device must be stowed upright in aircraft"; power must be disconnected/isolated to prevent inadvertent activation; the battery is fitted where feasible with spill-resistant vent caps; and the battery is either securely attached with circuits isolated, or removed if the aid cannot be kept upright. No spare spillable batteries are allowed.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"The removed batteries must be protected from short circuit (e.g., by covering or taping over exposed terminals)" and, where the battery stays installed, "the electrical circuits are isolated following the manufacturer's instruction". Spillable batteries additionally need power disconnected/isolated and spill-resistant vent caps where feasible.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published. The lithium battery must be of a type meeting UN 38.3, but Hong Kong Airlines does not say that a spec sheet, MSDS, manufacturer label or certificate has to be produced at check-in.
Not published. No maximum powered-wheelchair dimensions and no hold-door figures are given for any Hong Kong Airlines aircraft type.
No weight limit specific to powered wheelchairs is published; the 32 kg figure on the baggage page is the general per-piece checked-baggage limit, and mobility aids are carried in addition to the allowance.
Checked baggage — allowances, size/weight limits and mobility aids (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published for the return leg, and gate check-in is not offered on departure: "electronic-powered wheelchairs must be checked in at check-in counters before entering into the restricted area". Hong Kong Airlines does not say where a powered chair is returned on arrival.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
A powered chair must be surrendered at the check-in counter before security — unlike a manual chair, it cannot be used as far as the boarding gate.
Manual wheelchairs
"Passengers are welcome to travel with their own wheelchairs on our flights." A non-powered chair may be checked in at the check-in counter or at the boarding gate; depending on airport facilities you may use your own chair as far as the gate and hand it to ground staff before boarding.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"For safety reasons, your wheelchairs must be checked-in before boarding." Only walking canes, frames and crutches may be carried in the cabin, and a walking frame only if collapsible and the crew can stow it safely; non-collapsible frames must be checked.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Disability Assistance (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published — wheelchairs must be checked in before boarding, so there is no in-cabin wheelchair stowage envelope. Canes must lie flat on the floor without blocking an exit or protruding into the aisle.
Not published. Hong Kong Airlines states no maximum wheelchair size and gives no hold-door or hold-compartment dimensions.
No weight limit specific to mobility aids is published. The general rule is that no single piece of checked baggage may exceed 32 kg (70 lb) and 203 cm / 80 in (L+W+H), but mobility aids are accepted in addition to the allowance and no chair-specific figure is given.
Checked baggage — allowances, size/weight limits and mobility aids (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published for the return leg. On departure a non-powered wheelchair may be surrendered at the boarding gate ("passengers can use their own wheelchairs until arriving at the boarding gate") and a non-collapsible walking frame is taken at the gate "for priority stowage in the aircraft cargo hold", but Hong Kong Airlines does not say where the chair is given back on arrival.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Disability Assistance (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Walking canes, frames and crutches may be carried on board if stowed per cabin safety requirements; a collapsible walking frame may stay in the cabin, a non-collapsible one must be checked.
Booking & cost
"If you require any travel assistance, please contact our Customer Service Center 48 to 72 hours prior to your flight departure." The Disability Assistance page states "at least 48 hours" for POC/CPAP use, groups of ten or more disabled passengers and guide dogs; postural support devices need 72 hours. 72 h is the earliest/strictest figure published.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Disability Assistance (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"If you require any travel assistance, please contact our Customer Service Center 48 to 72 hours prior to your flight departure. Travel Assistance Request Form, please Click Here." Reservation or airport staff may ask questions to determine the level of assistance needed. HKA recommends completing check-in and baggage handling 120 minutes before departure.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Disability Assistance (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"Mobility Aids like wheelchair that are carried by the passenger can be accepted without charge as in addition to the baggage allowance." The Disability Assistance page adds: "The wheelchair service will be provided at no additional charge for all Hong Kong Airlines flights" and canes/assistive devices "will be carried free of charge".
Disability Assistance (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Checked baggage — allowances, size/weight limits and mobility aids (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published. Hong Kong Airlines says mobility aids are carried free in addition to the baggage allowance but never states how many devices per passenger.
Not published in the accessibility or baggage pages. Hong Kong Airlines links a "General Conditions of Carriage (Passengers And Baggage) (PDF)" from its Legal & Privacy page but the file link did not resolve; no mobility-aid-specific liability rule is stated anywhere on the site. Damage claims go to the baggage desk (+852 3902 9000 / satshk_lostandfound@satshk.com).
On board
Available, but only on certain aircraft: "In-flight wheelchair is only available for aircraft types A32S, A32G, A32Y, A32U, A321, A333, A33G, A32T." The A33S (A330-345A), which appears in HKA's own child-restraint and pet tables, is not on that list.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 旅遊協助 (Travel Assistance, Traditional Chinese) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published. Hong Kong Airlines says the in-flight wheelchair can take you to the lavatory door on the listed aircraft, but publishes nothing about an accessible lavatory, and crew "are unable to provide... assistance inside the lavatory".
"Assistance in moving to and from seats, preparing for eating, and using the in-flight wheelchair to get around the aircraft or lavatory can be provided"; if you cannot transfer yourself "our cabin crew may assist you using appropriate transfer equipment(s) available onboard". But there is no in-flight wheelchair on aircraft outside the listed types, no personal-care assistance (eating, medication, toileting), and NO WCHS or WCHC service at all on flights to/from Hulunbuir Hailar Airport international terminal, which has no high-lift vehicle or jet bridge.
Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Disability Assistance (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"In-flight wheelchair and aisle seat is also available, should you need any assistance inside the cabin (i.e. moving between your seat and the aircraft door or lavatory door)." Priority boarding is listed for passengers with hearing or visual impairment. Nothing is published about movable armrests or bulkhead seats.
Disability Assistance (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Fleet detail. No hold-door or hold-compartment dimensions are published. The only aircraft-specific accessibility figure is the in-flight wheelchair fleet list (A32S, A32G, A32Y, A32U, A321, A333, A33G, A32T).
Worth knowing
Strong battery detail for a mid-size carrier: Hong Kong Airlines explicitly states there is NO watt-hour limit for a lithium battery that stays installed in the chair, and it carries mobility aids free of charge in addition to the baggage allowance. Two hard limits to plan around: (1) an ELECTRIC wheelchair must be surrendered at the check-in counter before security — only a manual chair may be taken to the boarding gate; (2) WCHS and WCHC assistance is not available at all on flights to/from Hulunbuir Hailar Airport international terminal (no high-lift vehicle, no jet bridge). The in-flight wheelchair exists only on A32S/A32G/A32Y/A32U/A321/A333/A33G/A32T. Crew provide no personal-care assistance (eating, medication, toileting) and HKA may require a safety assistant or personal care attendant. HKA does not publish where a checked chair is returned on arrival, nor any maximum chair size or weight, nor a mobility-aid damage-liability rule. The Traditional Chinese (zh_HK) page carries an identical battery table, confirming the English text. Some www.hongkongairlines.com pages were in a scheduled maintenance window on the day of research.
Sources
Every figure above traces to one of these.
- s1 Travel Assistance — Wheelchair Service and battery-powered wheelchair table (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s2 Disability Assistance (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s3 Hong Kong Airlines Customer Service Centre — contact numbers (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s4 Checked baggage — allowances, size/weight limits and mobility aids (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s5 旅遊協助 (Travel Assistance, Traditional Chinese) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
Record quality
Record status researched · confidence high · 5 official sources · 9 contacts · 71% of the fields this reference tracks are answered. Newest source read 29 July 2026, the day before this page was built. What these mean.