Published 2 May 2024 · Last updated 18 October 2026
Quick answer: Yes. All six UK airlines we checked carry mobility scooters, and the ones that state a policy carry them free. On a plane, the battery decides what happens. British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 set no watt-hour limit on a lithium battery that stays fitted to the scooter. A battery you take out must be 300 Wh or less and goes in the cabin with you. TUI’s page sets a 300 Wh cap with no exception for a fitted battery. Ferries are a different picture: none of the four ferry lines we checked publishes a size or battery limit for a scooter, and all four ask for 48 hours’ notice.
Last checked: 18 October 2026. Each airline’s and ferry line’s own accessibility page was read on that date, along with the Civil Aviation Authority’s dangerous goods table and the UK government’s sea passenger rights guidance. The source link for every row is in the tables below. Rules change; if your flight is close, check the airline’s page again before you pack.
This page is for anyone flying or sailing from the UK with a mobility scooter or powerchair, and for family members booking the trip on their behalf. It sits alongside our guides to mobility scooters on trains and on buses.
The rule every UK flight starts from
The Civil Aviation Authority does not set its own scooter rules. Its dangerous goods table repeats the international rules every airline works from, and they come down to four points:
- A lithium battery that stays fitted to the scooter has no watt-hour limit.
- A lithium battery you remove must be 300 Wh or less, and it travels in the cabin.
- You may also carry one spare battery of up to 300 Wh, or two spares of up to 160 Wh each, in the cabin.
- Non-spillable lead-acid, gel and AGM batteries are allowed under a separate rule, with one spare at most.
The CAA marks a mobility aid as needing the airline’s approval, so you must book it in with each airline, and it says you should be able to use your own scooter up to the departure gate. Airlines can and do apply stricter rules than this baseline, which is why the table below matters more than the general rule.
Your battery’s watt-hour (Wh) rating is printed on its label. If the label only gives volts and amp-hours, multiply them: a 24 V, 10 Ah battery is 240 Wh.
Every airline’s rules
We read each airline’s own special assistance or mobility page on 18 October 2026. Only Virgin Atlantic’s page shows its own update date (7 October 2026). The others show none, which is why we record the date we read them.
| Airline | Battery left in the scooter | Battery removed, and spares | Notice | Size and weight limits | Source, checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways | No Wh limit | Removed battery 300 Wh or less (160 Wh each if the scooter takes two), in the cabin in a protective pouch. Plus one spare up to 300 Wh or two up to 160 Wh | 48 hours, through Manage My Booking | 140 x 85 x 106 cm (L x W x H) on UK and Europe flights; 74 x 94 x 82 cm upright on BA CityFlyer; 140 x 85 x 152 cm long haul. Over 250 kg, call the Accessibility Team first. Travels as hold baggage on top of your free allowance | British Airways, What assistance is available? Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
| easyJet | No Wh limit | Remove it only if that is the only way to switch the scooter off; then 300 Wh or less (160 Wh each for two), in the cabin in a protective pouch. The page gives no separate rule for spares | 48 hours | Must fit the cargo door: 1.70 m wide by 1.22 m high. Over 60 kg needs approval before travel. Up to two mobility aids carried free. Spillable batteries refused | easyJet, Special assistance Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
| Ryanair | No Wh limit | Spares: one up to 300 Wh or two up to 160 Wh each, in the cabin. A battery you remove from the scooter counts towards that same allowance | Select the scooter when you book (Ryanair recommends adding it at booking); no hours figure on the mobility pages | Folded size no more than 81 cm high, 119 cm wide, 119 cm deep. Over 150 kg needs pre-authorisation. Two electric wheelchairs or scooters per flight. Two pieces of mobility equipment carried free | Ryanair, Batteries for Mobility Aids and Dimensions/Weight limits Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
| Jet2 | No Wh limit if the battery is not designed to be removed; bring an Airsafe plug to isolate the cables | One removable battery 300 Wh or less, or two at 160 Wh each, in the cabin. Spares allowed within the same limits and must be declared | 48 hours (Jet2’s Assisted Travel guide, July 2025), through the Electric Mobility Device form | Over 81 cm high, unless it collapses lower, cannot be carried. Over 200 kg, Jet2 needs more details. Three electric mobility devices per flight, first come first served | Jet2, Electric Mobility Device and Assisted Travel Customer Guide (section 11.2) Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
| TUI Airways | 300 Wh maximum, with no exception stated for a fitted battery | Two batteries 160 Wh each at most. Spares follow the same limits. Removable and spare batteries go in the cabin. Staff check the Wh rating printed on the battery before approving it | Tell the Assisted Travel team before you book (0800 145 6920); TUI limits electric mobility aids per flight | Boeing 737: 86 x 119 x 119 cm (H x W x D). Boeing 787: 150 x 150 x 119 cm. Two mobility devices free, outside your baggage allowance. Wet-cell batteries refused. TUI transfer coaches cannot take electric mobility devices | TUI, Assisted travel and electric mobility aid FAQ Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
| Virgin Atlantic | No figure given for a fixed battery | A battery designed to come out must be removed, kept to 300 Wh or less and carried in the cabin. Spares: one up to 300 Wh or two up to 160 Wh | Contact Accessible Travel Services before you travel; no hours figure on the page. Arrive about three hours before take-off | 124 cm wide x 130 cm high x 155 cm deep, measured ready to load. No fixed weight limit | Virgin Atlantic, Can I travel with my electric mobility aid? (page dated 7 Oct 2026) Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
Three of the six airlines (British Airways, easyJet and Jet2) give a 48-hour notice period for the scooter itself. Ryanair wants it on the booking, and TUI asks you to call before you book because it only takes a set number of electric mobility aids per flight. Ryanair takes two per flight and Jet2 three, so on a busy holiday route the first passengers to book get the places.
What our folding scooter data says about spare batteries
A second battery is the obvious way to double a scooter’s range on holiday. Our comparison of folding and lightweight scooters records each model’s battery from the maker’s own spec sheet or manual. Nine of the 16 folding scooters in it publish enough battery data to work out watt-hours, and all nine fall between 240 and 259 Wh.
That band sits in an awkward place. Every one of those batteries is under the 300 Wh ceiling, so each can fly fitted or removed. Every one is also over 160 Wh, so you can never use the two-spares allowance. In practice that means:
- With the battery left in the scooter, you can carry one spare of the same size on British Airways, Ryanair, Jet2, TUI and Virgin Atlantic.
- On Ryanair, if you take the scooter’s own battery out and carry it in the cabin, it uses up the allowance. You cannot carry a second pack as well.
- Two spares are never allowed for packs of this size, on any airline.
- easyJet’s page does not cover spares at all, so ask its assistance team before relying on one.
One pack in our data falls outside the band. TGA sells an optional 322 Wh long-range battery for the Minimo Plus 4. That is over the 300 Wh limit every airline applies to a removed battery, and over TUI’s limit even when fitted. If you fly, take the standard 252 Wh pack.
Batteries wear out, and a pack that is several years old will not give the range printed in the brochure. Our guide to replacement mobility scooter batteries covers what to buy, and the Wh rating to look for on the label.
TUI is the strictest on batteries
TUI’s page reads: “If your electric mobility aid is powered by a lithium battery, it may not exceed 300Wh.” Unlike British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2, it gives no exception for a battery that stays fitted, and its FAQ says staff will check the rating printed on the battery before approving it. If you do not have the paperwork, TUI points you to the British Healthcare Trades Association website for help finding the details. Take the scooter’s manual or spec sheet with you either way.
TUI’s page also warns that its holiday transfer coaches cannot carry electric mobility devices. If you are on a package holiday, arrange accessible transport from the resort airport separately.
Which scooters fit through the hold door
The lowest height limit belongs to Ryanair and Jet2, at 81 cm, set by the aircraft’s hold door. BA CityFlyer’s upright limit is 82 cm and TUI’s Boeing 737 limit is 86 cm. Measure your scooter at its lowest, with the seat off and the tiller folded down, and compare it with the row for your airline before you book. Long-haul aircraft take much bigger items: Virgin Atlantic’s limit is 130 cm high and TUI’s Boeing 787 limit is 150 cm.
If you are still choosing a scooter for travel, our picks for the best mobility scooter to take on a plane and the folding scooter comparison list weights, folded sizes and battery ratings side by side. For the car journey to the airport, see which scooters fit in a car boot.
Ferries: easy to board, short on detail
Ferry lines publish far fewer rules than airlines. We checked four operators that run UK routes. Only Stena Line names mobility scooters in its rules, and none of the four publishes a size, weight or battery limit for a scooter.
| Ferry line | What it says about scooters | Notice | Size or battery limits | On board | Source, checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P&O Ferries | Scooters not mentioned. “Our ships and facilities are accessible to wheelchair users” | 48 hours before departure; request it when you book | None published | Cars carrying a disabled passenger can be parked near a lift on request | P&O Ferries, Quality Standards Accessible Travel (page updated 3 Apr 2024) Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
| Brittany Ferries | Scooters not mentioned. “Will carry mobility and certain medical equipment subject to safety considerations”, including wheelchairs with electric drive | At least 48 hours before travel | None published | Vehicle sticker for a parking space on the vehicle deck. No extra fee for assistance | Brittany Ferries, Assistance Quality Standards Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
| Stena Line | “We can accommodate most electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters, or battery-powered mobility aids” | At least 48 hours before you travel, and during booking | None published. Damaged batteries or unsafe equipment may be refused | Tell Stena during the booking process | Stena Line, Planning your journey Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
| DFDS | Lists scooter users among the passengers it helps. Mobility equipment may go into the passenger areas or stay on the vehicle deck | At booking or at least 48 hours before departure, via accessibletravel@dfds.com | No scooter limits, but it publishes lift sizes: the smallest is 100 x 138 cm on the Dover to Dunkirk ships, and lift doors on its three Channel routes are 90 cm wide | Up to five wheelchair passengers on board at once. Parking near the lift | DFDS, Reduced mobility passengers Checked 18 Oct 2026 |
Because no ferry line gives a size limit, the practical limit is the lift. DFDS is the only operator that prints its lift sizes, and its narrowest lift door is 90 cm. Any scooter within the 70 cm width that train operators allow will get through that door. If the scooter travels in your car, it can stay on the vehicle deck. If you want it with you on the passenger decks, or you are a foot passenger, ring the operator first and give them the scooter’s size.
If you drive on, P&O and DFDS say they will park you near a lift, and Brittany Ferries gives you a vehicle sticker for a set space on the vehicle deck. Foot passengers board in different ways depending on the port and the ship, so tell the operator what you are bringing when you book.
If your scooter is damaged
At sea, the UK government’s guidance is plain: if your mobility equipment is damaged during the journey, “you’re entitled to have it repaired or replaced by the ship operators”, and a temporary replacement should be provided. The same guidance says ferry and cruise ships must carry medical equipment, though they can refuse it if carrying it would not be safe or there is no room, and it asks you to tell the operator at least 2 days before travel if you need help.
In the air, report the damage to the airline before you leave the airport and keep the damaged-baggage reference. Airlines can limit what they pay out for damaged items, so check what your travel insurance covers for the scooter before you fly.
This page explains published rules. It is not legal advice.
What to do before you book
- Find the Wh rating on your battery label, or work it out from volts times amp-hours.
- Measure the scooter at its smallest: tiller down, seat off, folded if it folds. Note the weight with and without the battery.
- Check the airline’s row above, then call or use its form before you pay for the flight, especially with Ryanair, Jet2 and TUI, which cap scooters per flight.
- Print the scooter’s spec sheet or manual page showing the battery details, and pack it in your hand luggage.
- Bring the key, or whatever isolates the battery. Jet2 asks for an Airsafe plug on scooters whose battery cannot be removed.
- For a ferry, book assistance at least 48 hours ahead and ask which lift you will use.
- Plan the far end: transfer coaches, hotel charging points and whether the resort is scooter-friendly.
Change log
We re-read every source on this page each quarter and record what changed here, with the date. When an airline or ferry line changes a rule, the old wording stays in this log.
- 18 October 2026: first full check of six airlines, four ferry lines, the CAA dangerous goods table and the UK government’s sea passenger rights guidance.
- 18 October 2026, correction: the airline table in our folding scooter comparison (checked 28 September 2026) said Jet2 published no watt-hour figure. Jet2’s Electric Mobility Device page does give one (300 Wh for a single removable battery, 160 Wh each for two). That table has been corrected.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take a mobility scooter on a plane in the UK?
Yes. British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, TUI and Virgin Atlantic all carry mobility scooters, and you must book the scooter in with the airline before you fly. The battery type and watt-hour rating decide whether it is accepted. Spillable batteries are refused by easyJet and TUI.
Do I have to pay to take my mobility scooter on a flight?
Not on the airlines we checked that state a position. easyJet and Ryanair carry two mobility aids free, TUI carries two at no extra cost outside your baggage allowance, and British Airways carries mobility aids as hold baggage on top of your free allowance.
What is the battery limit for a mobility scooter on a plane?
A lithium battery left in the scooter has no watt-hour limit under CAA rules and on British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2. A removed battery must be 300 Wh or less and go in the cabin. TUI’s page caps lithium scooter batteries at 300 Wh with no exception for a fitted one.
Can I take a spare mobility scooter battery on a plane?
Usually one. The limit is one spare up to 300 Wh or two up to 160 Wh each, carried in the cabin. Every folding scooter battery in our comparison that publishes a rating is 240 to 259 Wh, so one spare is the maximum for those. On Ryanair, a battery you remove from the scooter counts as your spare.
How much notice do I need to give?
British Airways, easyJet and Jet2 ask for 48 hours. TUI asks you to call before you book, and Ryanair asks you to add the scooter to the booking. All four ferry lines we checked ask for 48 hours.
Can I take a mobility scooter on a ferry?
Yes. Stena Line says it can take most mobility scooters, Brittany Ferries and DFDS say they carry mobility equipment, and P&O says its ships are accessible to wheelchair users. None of the four publishes a size or battery limit for a scooter. Give 48 hours’ notice and ask which lift you will use on board.
Can I ride my scooter to the aircraft door?
The CAA says you should be able to use your own mobility aid up to the departure gate. Virgin Atlantic says you will often be able to stay in your own aid until you reach the aircraft. Practice varies by airport, so ask when you book assistance.
How we compiled this
We read each operator’s own accessibility, special assistance or dangerous goods page on 18 October 2026 and took every figure from that page. We did not use third-party summaries. The folding scooter battery figures come from our own comparison, which takes each figure from the maker’s spec sheet or manual. None of the airlines or ferry lines named here paid to appear or saw this page before publication. If you spot a rule that has changed, email hello@reviewmobility.co.uk and we will check it and log the change.
Sources
Civil Aviation Authority, “What items can I travel with and which are restricted” (dangerous goods table) and “How to access help and support”, read 18 October 2026. GOV.UK, “Maritime passenger rights: your journey”, read 18 October 2026. Airline and ferry pages as linked in the tables above, all read 18 October 2026. Review Mobility, folding and lightweight mobility scooter comparison, battery column, checked 28 September 2026.
Published 2 May 2024 · Last updated 18 October 2026