Accessibility FAQ
Employees are available to assist passengers with accessibility needs throughout Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). We urge to you to ask for assistance and make your needs known in advance of your travel.
If you have questions that aren't answered here or if you want to speak to someone, call (801) 575-2401, or at airportinfo@slcgov.com.
How do I make arrangements for special assistance?
Make requests with your airline when you book your ticket. The more information you provide airline representatives when making your travel plans, the more they can help you. Give them detailed information on your situation and anticipated needs.
Keep in mind that the airlines require 48-hours of advance notice and an early check-in if you need oxygen or a respirator hookup aboard the plane, or if you are shipping certain battery-powered wheelchairs.
What if I have mobility needs?
Airline personnel are available to assist passengers throughout the travel process. They will assist you at the ticket counter, through security screening, to the boarding gate and deplaning. Help with connecting flights is also available. Please make your needs known when you make your airline reservation.
How do I request wheelchair service?
Airlines provide free wheelchair service. Let your airline know if you require this service when making your reservation. Once at the Airport, alert a skycap in front of the terminal or an airport representative inside the terminal, and a wheelchair will be provided for you. You can also call (801) 744-4292.
Click here for wheelchair and guided assistance information from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation.
How does boarding assistance work?
If you need boarding assistance, the airlines have a specially designed "aisle chair" to carry you to and from your seat. Every aircraft also carries a wheelchair for use between the lavatory and your seat.
What if I need help with a connecting flight?
If you need help making a connecting flight, the airlines will arrange for a wheelchair and assistant to transport you to the appropriate gate. If your trip is over, they will take you to the baggage claim area or wherever you need to go in the airport.
Is it necessary to advise the airline in advance that I will need a wheelchair?
Passengers needing wheelchair service are encouraged to arrange for wheelchair service with their airline prior to the day of travel. It is also beneficial to notify the airline when you depart that you will need a wheelchair on your return flight. They will put a note in your record.
What if I require special seating on the aircraft?
Passengers with disabilities may be seated anywhere in their ticketed class of service for which they are qualified and in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety regulations. You should ask your reservations representative or ticket agent about special seating accommodations if you have certain situations. For example: if you are traveling with a service animal or an attendant who assists you with certain functions during flight, if you have a fused leg, if you need a seat with a movable aisle armrest, or if you need an aisle chair to reach your seat.
What if I have a service animal or an assistive device?
Service animals that are trained to assist passengers with mobility, sight, or hearing disabilities can be accommodated. Check with the airline or your travel agent before your travel date regarding applicable restrictions and procedures.
SLC provides service animal relief areas both before and after the security screening checkpoints. A service animal relief area is located on the ground level outside of the airport on the west side of the terminal. It is a good practice to take your animal there before entering the security screening checkpoint. The pet relief areas past the security checkpoint are located in Concourse A near gate A9, near gate A34 and in Concourse B near gate B20.
Please note: Animals in training do not meet qualifications as a service animal and fees for transporting your animal may apply. For additional information, please contact your airline reservations center.
Assistive devices or life-support equipment (non-oxygen generating) may be brought into the aircraft provided that the apparatus can fit into a storage location approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). If you require additional space to accommodate your assistive equipment, you may need to purchase an additional seat. The airlines can furnish you with these guidelines.
What if I have a medical condition and/or need to travel with oxygen?
Your airline may require a medical certificate explaining your health condition and the possible impact on other travelers. For example, if you have an infectious disease, the airline may require a medical certificate from your physician explaining that your disease is not communicable to other passengers during the normal course of a flight. Your airline may also require a medical certificate authorizing the use of an approved portable oxygen concentrator or confirming that a medical condition would not necessitate extraordinary medical assistance during a flight.
Contact your airline for more information on medical conditions, onboard medical oxygen service, and customer-owned oxygen units.
What if I need to take medication at a certain time?
Passengers should always bring medication onboard in their carry-on baggage. Never put medicine in your checked baggage. Aircraft do not have refrigerators onboard, so please plan accordingly. If you use needles to inject medication, it is helpful to have a doctor's statement with you in case the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents have any questions. Medications are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding 3.4 ounces and are not required to be in the zip-lock bag. Let the agents at the security screening checkpoint know about these items. They may need to conduct thorough inspections. Passengers should inform TSA officers of medications and separate them from other belongings before the screening process begins. Medication is usually screened by X-ray. However, if a passenger does not want medication X-rayed, they may ask for a visual inspection instead. This request must be made before the screening process begins.
How do I request a wheelchair for assistance with my connecting flight?
For wheelchair assistance or special service assistance, contact your airline reservations center prior to traveling or contact an airline representative in the airport.
What if I am traveling with my own wheelchair?
Airlines transport most types of wheelchairs, including folding, collapsible or non-folding manual wheelchairs, electric/battery-powered wheelchairs, and electric-powered carts. The airlines ask that you check your wheelchair at the ticket counter or gate, and they will return it to you at the gate or the baggage claim area, when your flight lands.
If you have a battery-powered wheelchair, we ask that you check in at the ticket counter two hours in advance so that they can properly prepare the chair for loading into the cargo section of the plane. They make every effort to load your chair in an upright position and without disconnecting any components. However, some batteries are subject to dangerous goods handling procedures and may require special packaging. It is recommended that you have written instructions available to explain how to disassemble your wheelchair.
What if I am deaf or hard of hearing?
Let your airline know when checking in at the gate if you have a hearing condition so that the gate agents can inform you of any important announcements before the flight departs. When onboard, notify the flight attendants so that they can alert you to any important flight information. In the airport, airline gate agents or customer service representatives can assist you with potential gate or schedule changes.
Flight information screens provide visual paging information upon request. Contact the airport on a white paging phone or dial (801) 575-2600.
What if I am blind or low vision?
If vision issues make it difficult to find your way through the airport, request assistance from skycaps in front of the terminal or airline or airport personnel within the terminal. Skycaps can assist you to the airline check-in counter. From there, airline representatives will help you get to the gate and assist you with boarding the airplane.
Please alert flight attendants, if you need help stowing your luggage or identifying items on the service panel. Notify flight attendants if you need help leaving the aircraft, making a connection, assistance in the baggage claim area, ground transportation, or other needs.
Passengers who are blind or have low vision can access Aira, a visual interpreting service, to describe the surroundings while traveling through Salt Lake City International Airport. Aira is available through a free phone app and connects the passenger to an individual who is highly trained to help interpret the surroundings.
Click to download the app at: Download the Aira App, Try it for Free - Aira
Is there a charge for transfer assistance?
The airlines provide wheelchair assistance without charge. Gratuity for the wheelchair attendant is permissible, but not required. Solicitation of tips is prohibited, and you should never be asked for a payment or tip. If this occurs, notify airline or airport personnel.
How long should I expect to wait for a wheelchair when connecting to another flight?
We realize that you may be eager to deplane and get on your way. However, you may be subject to a short wait for a wheelchair and attendant. Rest assured that the airline will be aware of your connection time and will plan for the transfer accordingly.
What if I encounter a problem?
The airlines have specially trained complaint resolution officials, or CROs, in every airport to meet the needs and concerns of passengers with disabilities. These employees are responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures are properly implemented. They are available to address your questions or concerns.
How do I file a complaint?
Learn more about the ADA Grievance Procedure or to file a complaint against the airport or airport tenant, click here.
Your input is useful to us. If you have comments or suggestions, please contact us by email at: Mark.Cheminant@slcgov.com or by mail at: ADA Coordinator, P.O. Box 145550, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-5550.