Some medical equipment can be brought onboard, but you’ll need to make sure it complies with restrictions.

If you need to carry medical equipment onboard your flight, please telephone our Special Assistance team a minimum of 48 hours before you travel, on +44 (0)844 412 4455. They may ask you a few questions about your medical condition.

By ‘medical equipment’, we mean equipment like respiratory assistive devices, needles and syringes. For specific guidance on bringing wheelchairs and other mobility equipment onboard, take a look at our mobility aids and wheelchairs pages.

Powered equipment

Unfortunately we can’t provide electricity to power medical equipment on our aircraft, so your equipment will need to be battery powered. Guidelines for the use of batteries are as follows:

• Ensure you carry sufficient batteries for the duration of your flight.
  
• Batteries must be fitted in the device if you check it into the aircraft hold.
  
• Spare batteries must be individually wrapped and carried in hand luggage only.
  
• Just like personal stereos and phones, any powered medical equipment must be switched off and stowed for taxi, take off, approach and landing, and during abnormal or emergency conditions.

Needles and syringes

You’re allowed to bring needles and syringes onboard for the treatment of medical conditions. However, please make sure you also carry:

• A letter from your medical practitioner confirming the kind of medication you have, and what it is for.
• If you do not have a medical practitioner's letter, the medication must have a printed pharmaceutical label, clearly identifying it as being prescribed for and belonging to you.

Respiratory assistive devices

The following guidelines apply to any respiratory assistive devices you wish to bring onboard:

• It must be labelled by the manufacturer, confirming it has been tested to meet the requirements for medical portable devices set by the UK Government or US Federal Aviation Authority.
• The device must not be too big or too heavy to be used in the cabin.
• Any extra batteries must be packaged in accordance with UK safety regulations.
  
• You must carry sufficient fully-charged batteries to power the device for 150% of the expected maximum flight duration, to take any delays into account.
• You may also need to carry a medical certificate for the condition that requires you to use the device.

If you're unsure about any other regulations or requirements that might apply to you, please contact our Special Assistance team – they are there to help! You can contact them on 0844 412 4455.