Travelling with medical conditions

If you have a pre-existing medical condition and need special assistance during your flight, please inform us by submitting the required forms or contacting our customer service well in advance. This way, we can take the necessary precautions and ensure your safety and comfort throughout the journey. 

Medical conditions may restrict air travel 

We want to ensure a safe flight for all our passengers. That's why we need to make sure flying is medically safe for you. 

We cannot accept you on a flight if you have a medical condition or illness that makes it unsafe for you to fly without special medical assistance during the flight.  

In some cases, flying may be allowed with the help of a medical escort or assistant.  

Our cabin crew can assist you in getting to the lavatory, but they cannot help you use the toilet or lift you. All our crew members have been trained in first aid, but they are not authorised to give injections or medication. Also, the crew cannot store medicines during the flight. 

The following medical conditions may restrict air travel: 

• Recent myocardial infarction 
• Recent cerebral circulatory disorder 
• Recent injury 
• Recent surgery 
• Symptomatic coronary disease or other heart condition 
• Chronic pulmonary diseases 
• Pneumothorax 
• Need for additional oxygen during a previous flight or on the ground 
• Psychosis and other severe mental disorders 
• Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, autism and other conditions that may affect the ability to independently travel on a flight 
• Disorders of consciousness 
• Poorly controlled epilepsy (recurrent seizures) 
• Advanced cancer or other serious disabling illness 
• Infectious disease (tuberculosis, measles, recent respiratory infections, intestinal infections with diarrhoea or vomiting)   
• Sinusitis or ear infection 
• Acute pain uncontrolled by medication 
• Anaemia (Hb less than 75g/l)   
• Chickenpox in the vesicle phase due to the risk of infection. Travel is allowed in the dry scabies phase. 

How to request special assistance

Submit the special assistance form

The special assistance form is the preliminary information form with which you can let us know about your pre-existing medical conditions. If you have any of the conditions listed above, you must submit the form at the latest 48 hours before your flight departure. Your advance notice gives us the time needed for taking all the appropriate precautionary measures.

After submitting the form, you will receive your personal case number, for example, 1-234567890. You can log in to your case with this number and attach the PDF file of the medical information form (MEDIF) upon our request. If you already have an open case, please sign in here with your number. 

Submit the medical information form (MEDIF)

After reviewing your special assistance form, we may request medical clearance via the medical information form to make sure air travel is completely safe for you. You should carefully fill in both pages of the form. Please follow these steps: 

1. Complete the medical information form part 1 by yourself or by your representative. 
2. Have your treating doctor complete the medical information form part 2.  
3. Scan the signed forms and sign in here with your case number to attach the forms to your case. Please ensure the forms reach us at the latest 48 hours before your departure. 

By submitting this form, you give us your consent to process your medical data to handle and complete your service request. The consent also applies to our partners, if necessary. You can find more information about our Privacy Policy here. 

MEDIF form validity time

Please make sure your medical information form is sufficiently recent, especially if you have a chronic or progressive condition.

• For chronic illnesses, such as heart or lung conditions, the form cannot be older than 12 months.
• For serious progressive illnesses, such as cancer or progressive neurological conditions (for example ALS), the form cannot be older than 6–12 months.

Travelling with medical equipment

You may bring necessary assistive devices or mobility aids, such as personal oxygen concentrators (POC), apnea breathing devices (CPAP), canes or elbow crutches, into the cabin with you in addition to the carry-on baggage allowance included in your ticket. However, it's important to note that this allowance is only meant for the assistive device and does not extend to additional baggage.

If you need to use your medical device during the flight, please inform us by filling in the special assistance form well in advance, no later than 48 hours before departure. Otherwise, no prior notification is required. 

A medical inverter 

Most CPAP machines require a medical inverter to be installed to function properly onboard. All aircraft types do not have an inverter facility, but we can check the availability approximately 72 hours before departure. You can request the inverter for long-haul flights at no additional charge. 

Power supply 

Please keep in mind that as we can’t guarantee power supply onboard, you may not be able to use your breathing device if it’s plug-in. For battery-operated devices, please carry a sufficient backup battery supply to cover a minimum of 150% of the planned flight time (including transfer time when you have a connecting flight). 

Non-visible disabilities

We understand that living with a hidden disability, such as autism, anxiety, vision or hearing impairments, chronic pain or dementia, can make travel more challenging. We are committed to making your journey as accessible and smooth as possible. The assistance provided at many airports for physical disabilities is also available to our customers with non-visible ones.

Sunflower lanyard

The Sunflower Lanyard is an initiative designed as a subtle way of indicating that someone has a non-visible disability and may require extra assistance.

The lanyards are bright green in colour and decorated with an easily recognisable sunflower design. They are entirely voluntary and indicate to staff that you may:  

• Need more time to process information or prepare yourself at check-in, boarding or getting off the aircraft.  
• Need clearer verbal instructions, as it can be difficult to understand facial expressions or body language.
• Need help reading departure boards or signs.
• Benefit from more information on what to expect before, during and after your flight.

If you're departing from Helsinki Airport, you can find the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyards from the Finnair check-in desk marked with the universal accessibility icon.  

Individuals with hidden disabilities are equally entitled to use the services designed for people with reduced mobility, the same way as those with visible disabilities. This includes using the dedicated accessible check-in desks and the option for boarding the aircraft among the first.

If you need assistance service to move around the airport or board the aircraft, please contact us no later than 48 hours before the departure of your flight so that we can confirm the assistance service for you. You can book the service via the assistance request form after purchasing the ticket. If you have any questions, our customer service can help you.

Contact us

We are here to help you if you have any further questions – please contact our customer service.