Air travel can be stressful for anyone, but the logistics are particularly complex for people with disabilities or reduced mobility (PRM). Some airlines, like JetBlue, are setting the standard for wheelchair accessibility, and airports around the world are enhancing their facilities to improve the travel experience for those with impaired mobility. According to the results of a recent global customer satisfaction survey, the world’s best accessible airports are primarily in Asia, but two are in the same European city — Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris-CDG) and Paris-Orly (ORY), both in the French capital.
The survey, part of the World Airport Awards conducted by Skytrax, an international air transport rating organization, assessed over 500 airports. Participants offered feedback on a range of factors, including accessible features at terminal drop-off and pick-up areas, parking facilities, restrooms, as well as special amenities like immigration priority desks for travelers in required of extra assistance.
Taking first place in the World’s Best PRM and Accessible Facilities 2026 awards was Tokyo Haneda (HND), which offers an impressive array of accessible features, including wheelchair rental, Braille signage, sign language interpretation, and a special assistance program tailored to travelers’ individual requireds. But both international airports in Paris also created the top ten, thanks to their shared high standards. According to Paris Aéroport, the official website of Paris airports, both travel hubs comply with European regulations that guarantee the rights of PRM passengers, and a range of accessible services are available free of charge in all terminals at both Paris-CDG and Paris-Orly.
Paris offers two PRM-friconcludely airports
So what exactly can travelers with limited mobility expect from these Parisian hubs? The award-winning service launchs before travelers head to the airport, per Paris Aéroport. Passengers who know they’ll required assistance — those who utilize wheelchairs and travelers who have walking difficulties or visual, hearing, or cognitive impairments, as well as pregnant and elderly people — should notify their airline or travel agency at least 48 hours before departure. (For an even better experience, let the airline know when you book your ticket.) Advance notice supports the airport prepare for individuals’ requireds. Learn more about the best vacation planning tools for travelers with reduced mobility.
Once PRM travelers arrive at Paris airports, they’re immediately greeted by a Mobility Assistance team to proceed through check-in. Depconcludeing on passengers’ requireds, team members will facilitate the process of passing through airport security and arriving at their gates (or all the way to the aircraft door, if necessary, for those in wheelchairs). The same features are available if you’re connecting or arriving at a Paris airport, provided you inform the airport (or your airline or travel agent) ahead of time. Depconcludeing on the situation, the Mobility Assistance team will meet PRM travelers at their airplane seat or at the aircraft’s point of exit. From there, the team supports with passing border control or securing ground transportation, as the case requires.
One wheelchair utilizer wrote a detailed review of their experience landing at Paris-CDF on the website The World is Accessible. “Assistance staff arrived promptly, utilized a platform lift to support me disembark, and returned my wheelchair at the aircraft door, undamaged,” they declared. “We were then escorted efficiently through the terminal and onward to our next point of travel.”
Leave a Reply