Falck and Copenhagen Airports signs an agreement on a new service for disabled persons

9-May 2008

The airlines have traditionally been responsible for providing assistance to disabled passengers. In order to ensure that passengers get uniform service, the EU now requires European airports to implement a standardised service scheme for disabled travellers. As has been the case so far, the cost of this service is included in the ticket price. Copenhagen Airports have signed an agreement with Falck to provide the service on its behalf.

Copenhagen Airport’s new service scheme for passengers with a disability comes into force on 26 July. The service will be introduced in response to new regulatory requirements for the area after the EU has decided that travellers with a disability must be offered uniform services in all European airports. It has therefore been decided that, in future, the airports must handle the task in practice and ensure that persons with a disability get good and uniform service no matter which airline they use.  

Falck as a new collaborative partner
Copenhagen Airports and Falck have signed a contract about future collaboration to provide the service. This means that, in future, Falck will ensure in practice that the approximately 100,000 passengers with a disability travelling through Copenhagen Airport per year get comfortable and flexible assistance while they are at the airport.

“We are proud that Copenhagen Airport has chosen Falck as the provider of this important service which is very much in line with the assistance Falck provides to our subscription clients when they need transport assistance to visit their physician or go to hospital,” said Allan Søgaard Larsen, President and CEO of Falck.

A well reputed and highly respected partner
Copenhagen Airport’s Chief Operating Officer, Henrik Peter Jørgensen, is confident that the service to be provided by Falck will ensure that disabled passengers can feel comfortable and reassured when they travel to or from Copenhagen Airport.

“We have decided to contract with Falck as a well reputed and highly respected company. I am confident that Falck’s expertise in the healthcare area will ensure that we will have a scheme which the airlines, authorities, passengers and the airport will be satisfied with,” said Jørgensen.  

Service coordinated with the Disabled Peoples Organisations in Denmark
When the service scheme comes into force on 26 July, it will be the result of many months of close coordination with the Disabled Peoples Organisations in Denmark (DPOD) and the airlines, who have been involved in the practical coordination from the beginning of the project.    

“We are pleased that an agreement has now been signed with a single service provider. This will ensure that the product is coherent, with uniform standards and procedures on how disabled passengers must be treated. Moreover, the level of quality will be more uniform, which will provide comfort and flexibility for thee passengers. We look forward to the scheme coming into force,” said Stig Langvad, Chairman of the DPOD.   

The DPOD has provided valuable advice on where to place meeting points by the metro, the railway station, carparks and the taxi area. They have also made proposals on how to make signposting and other facilities more accessible.   


FACTS about the service scheme:

• An assistance centre with a control centre will be established; it will be located centrally in the airport.
• There will be nine different meeting points
• Passengers with a disability will be offered assistance all the way through the airport from their point of arrival, i.e. by the metro, railway station or carpark until they are seated on board the aircraft or vice-versa.
• In future, passengers will be offered assistance for example for check-in and baggage handling.
• When a passenger has reported that he or she has arrived at the airport, Falck staff will provide assistance in 30 minutes or less provided that assistance has been booked in advance  
• Assistance under the scheme must be booked together with the ticket


For additional information, please contact:
Falck’s Communications Department, tel +45 3315 4320
Copenhagen Airports’ Communications Department, tel +45 32 31 28 00