wheelair

All airlines North America

Delta Air Lines

IATA DL ICAO DAL United States · SkyTeam · www.delta.com (opens in a new tab)

Powered wheelchairs accepted · carried free · 48 h notice.

Advance notice
48hours before departure
Powered wheelchair
Yes
Lithium, battery installed
Not published
Cost to carry
Free

Who to contact

Transcribed from the airline’s own pages, exactly as it labels them.

Re-checked 2026-07-29: 404-209-3434 is Delta's main accessibility number — it is the tel: link target on the Wheelchair Services page and is repeated as the US Accessible Travel Services line, the Europe "Disability Assistance" line and the Canada accessibility-plan feedback line. 404-209-2424 is genuinely printed too, but only once, on the Additional Assistance page for boarding/deplaning/connection help, alongside four other references on that same page to 404-209-3434; it is most likely a site typo, so both are kept with labels that say so. Delta publishes no accessibility email other than the Canada plan address; complaints go via the Comment & Complaint form or by post to Delta Air Lines, Customer Care, P.O. Box 20980, Department 980, Atlanta, GA 30320-2980. CROs are available in person at every Delta airport during operating hours; away from the airport you reach one by calling Reservations (800-221-1212) and asking for the CRO Desk, or by calling 404-209-3434.

Read it from the source

Powered wheelchairs & batteries

The part that goes wrong. Battery chemistry and watt-hours decide whether your chair flies, and the rules differ depending on whether the battery can be removed.

Powered chairs accepted
Yes

Delta transports electric/battery-powered wheelchairs, electric-powered carts and scooters. "Delta accepts battery-powered wheelchairs provided they fit in the cargo compartment and can be transported consistent with safety and security requirements."

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Canada Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Lithium-ion batteries
Yes

"Lithium-ion batteries have no restrictions. Follow the steps in our 'Bring Your Personal Wheelchair' section." Lithium-Ion is one of the battery types on the Mobility Device Handling Form, which asks you to state the watt-hours.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Mobility Device Handling Form (PDF, revision 4/2024) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Watt-hour cap — battery stays in the chair
Not published

Not published for a wheelchair battery that stays installed. Delta's wheelchair FAQ says only "Lithium-ion batteries have no restrictions" — a handling statement, not a stated absence of a watt-hour cap — while the handling form still asks for the Wh figure. Delta's baggage page states "a maximum of 160-watt hours per battery" for lithium-ion batteries generally and does not say whether that applies to a mobility aid, so no figure is recorded either way.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Battery or Fuel-Powered items (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Watt-hour cap — battery removed into the cabin
Not published

Not published. Delta does not normally require the battery to be removed (it may stay in "a rigid compartment that is integral to the device"), and delta.com gives no watt-hour figure for a wheelchair battery removed into the cabin. The 160 Wh on Delta's baggage page is written for lithium-ion batteries at large, not for mobility aids.

Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Battery or Fuel-Powered items (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Watt-hour cap — spare battery
Not published

Not published for a spare wheelchair battery. Delta's baggage page states the rule generally, not for mobility aids: "Lithium ion batteries not installed in a device (spares) must be in carry-on baggage and no more than two (2) spares between 100 and 160-watt hours are allowed", alongside "a maximum of 160-watt hours per battery". Delta never says whether that ceiling applies to a spare wheelchair battery.

Baggage — Battery or Fuel-Powered items (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Spare batteries permittedmaximum number under any published configuration
1

Delta's baggage page lists "one additional wheelchair battery" among the mobility items it transports. Separately, its general battery rules cap each passenger at 20 spare batteries overall and require spares to be carried in carry-on baggage with the terminals individually protected against short circuit.

Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Battery or Fuel-Powered items (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Battery must be removed
Conditional

Not normally: "To transport your wheelchair or scooter without disconnecting the battery, your wheelchair or mobility aid must possess a defect-free battery in a rigid compartment that is integral to the device, as well as an effective method of preventing accidental activation during transport." But "there are still circumstances that require the battery be disconnected" — attach assembly/disassembly instructions and the battery type. For in-cabin stowage of a battery chair, the battery must be removable and remain with the customer.

Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Canada Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Non-spillable batteriesgel, AGM, sealed lead-acid, dry cell
Yes

"Dry-cell and gel-cell non-spillable batteries also require special handling. Check with the manufacturer to ensure the battery can travel on its side and then follow the steps in our 'Bring Your Personal Wheelchair' section."

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Wet / spillable batteries
Yes

Accepted; handling and notice only, no approval or aircraft exclusion published. "Wet-cell spillable batteries require special handling. Contact us at 404-209-3434 (or dial 711 for relay services) at least 48 hours before you fly." Wet Cell (spillable) is one of the battery types on Delta's Mobility Device Handling Form, and 48 hours' notice is recommended so Delta can follow the U.S. Federal Dangerous Goods Handling Procedures.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Mobility Device Handling Form (PDF, revision 4/2024) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Terminal protection & immobilisation
Yes

An effective method of preventing accidental activation is required: inserting the charger, turning the key off and removing it, turning a kill switch, removing a power arm, or taping a switch in the closed position. If Delta cannot confirm a cabin-stowed device is safe from accidental in-flight activation, "Delta must disconnect the battery post connectors and wrap each connector with tape to prevent electrical shorts during travel." Spare batteries must be individually protected against short circuit.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Battery or Fuel-Powered items (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Paperwork the airline wants
Yes

Print the Mobility Device Handling Form before your trip, bring it and attach it to the device (a gate agent can help). It records battery type — Manual (none) / Dry or Gel (non-spillable) / Wet Cell (spillable) / Lithium-Ion, with watt-hours if lithium-ion — removable parts kept with you, the accidental-activation method, device L x W x H and weight, whether it may be folded/reclined/collapsed and whether it may be laid on its side. Also attach disassembly/reassembly instructions.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Mobility Device Handling Form (PDF, revision 4/2024) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Size limit for a powered chairCargo-hold door opening — not a stated chair limit
104.1 cm wide · 68.6 cm high

Same cargo-hold DOOR apertures as for manual chairs — an opening, not a published maximum chair size: 27" high (68.6 cm) on the Boeing 717-200 and 41" wide (104.1 cm) on CRJ-200/700/900, E-170 and ERJ-175. Some devices may be loaded on their side — check with the manufacturer first; if it must stay upright, call 404-209-3434 at least 48 hours before you fly.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Aircraft cargo door dimensions dataset behind the "Will My Wheelchair Fit?" tool (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Weight limit for a powered chair
Not published

No weight limit published; Delta's stated constraint is cargo-door and hold fit, not weight. The Mobility Device Handling Form records device weight in lbs/kg.

Returned at the aircraft door
Yes

As for manual chairs: you may check the device at the departing gate and have it returned at the destination or connecting gate, or opt for baggage claim (look on the "oversize" belt). "If you opted to retrieve it planeside, a Delta agent will bring it up to the jetbridge for you on arrival."

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Some battery-operated devices may be stowed upright in the hold, others may need to be disassembled and checked before you fly — check with the manufacturer whether the device may be stored on its side. Detach and carry into the cabin all removable parts (joystick, seat cushion, headrest, armrests, footrests).

Manual wheelchairs

Manual chairs accepted
Yes

"Delta transports both manual and battery-powered devices", including folding, collapsible and non-folding manual wheelchairs, carried on the same flight as the passenger who depends on the device.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Folding chair may travel in the cabin
Yes

"If your non-battery operated wheelchair or mobility device meets the size restrictions for the approved storage space on the aircraft, you may stow your collapsible device on your flight. Wheelchairs take priority over other carry-on items. In general, the device may not exceed measurements of 13" x 36" x 42" [33 x 91.4 x 106.7 cm], but the limits vary by aircraft." First-come, first-served for the first collapsible chair that fits; priority stowage for at least one collapsible manual chair on aircraft with 100+ seats.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Canada Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

In-cabin stowage limitIn-cabin stowage space
106.7 cm long · 33 cm wide · 91.4 cm high

In-cabin stowage of a collapsible, NON-battery-operated chair: "In general, the device may not exceed measurements of 13"x 36"x 42", but the limits vary by aircraft" (33.0 x 91.4 x 106.7 cm). Delta does not label which figure is height, width or length; the binding constraint is the 13 in (33 cm) dimension. Wheelchairs take priority over other carry-on items; confirm with the gate agent before boarding.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Size limit for a checked manual chairCargo-hold door opening — not a stated chair limit
104.1 cm wide · 68.6 cm high

Cargo-hold DOOR aperture, not a stated maximum chair size: in Delta's own fleet dataset behind "Will My Wheelchair Fit?" the lowest door is 27" (68.6 cm) on the B717-200 and the narrowest 41" (104.1 cm) on CRJ-200/700/900, E-170 and ERJ-175 — no single type has a 27" x 41" door, these are the fleet-worst height and width. Height and width only; no length published. Measure at the chair's smallest size (not expanded); Delta's Delta Connection cargo section adds that removable parts "may be removed prior to measuring".

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Aircraft cargo door dimensions dataset behind the "Will My Wheelchair Fit?" tool (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Weight limit for a manual chair
Not published

No weight limit published. Delta's Mobility Device Handling Form asks the customer to record device weight in lbs/kg, but delta.com states no maximum — the published constraint is cargo-door and hold fit.

Returned at the aircraft door
Yes

"You can arrange to have us check your personal wheelchair or mobility aid at the departing gate and return it at the destination gate when you arrive, or at a connecting airport. Just let us know in advance." "If your device must be checked at the gate, it will be returned to you at the gate." Tell the agent whether you want the device brought to the jet bridge on connections or checked through to baggage claim; Delta warns connection times may be too short if disassembly is required.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Onboard stowage limit is roughly 13" x 36" x 42" (33 x 91.4 x 106.7 cm) and varies by aircraft — confirm with the gate agent before boarding. Canes, walkers and crutches are also carried; some may be stored on board, others checked at the gate.

Booking & cost

Advance notice requiredhours before scheduled departure
48h

"Share your mobility needs with us at least 48 hours before your trip so we can offer you the best possible service." Forty-eight hours' notice is "recommended" for battery-operated devices so Delta can follow U.S. Federal Dangerous Goods Handling Procedures; the baggage page words it "If possible though not required". Check in at the ticket counter at least one hour before departure if checking battery-powered equipment.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

How to request assistance
Accessible Services in My Trips or the Fly Delta app, or call 404-209-3434 (dial 711 for relay); use the online Accessible Service Request form if more than 7 days from travel

"Submit your request from 'Accessible Services' in 'My Trips' or call 404-209-3434 (dial 711 for relay services)." For services beyond the My Trips options, complete the Accessible Service Request form online if you are more than 7 days from travel; a Delta specialist reviews it and may contact you.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Accessible Travel Services — Overview (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Charge for carrying the aid
No fee

"Medical supplies or equipment are allowed on board as additional items at no extra charge." "Delta allows assistive devices as carry-ons in the cabin free of charge consistent with safety requirements… These recognized assistive devices do not count against the customer's carry-on limit."

Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Canada Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Mobility devices carried free
Not published

No numeric cap published. Delta says it transports "all types of personal wheelchairs, including folding, collapsible, non-folding manual and electric/battery-powered wheelchairs, electric-powered carts and scooters, one additional wheelchair battery, crutches, braces or other prosthetic devices" provided they are on the same flight as the passenger who depends on them.

Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

If they damage your chair
Repair or replacement with a comparable model, up to the original purchase price; Montreal/Warsaw Convention limits waived for mobility aids

"If your mobility aid or wheelchair is destroyed or lost, we will repair or replace it with a comparable model. With respect to mobility aids and wheelchairs, we do not enforce the maximum liability amounts set out in the Montreal Convention, or its predecessor, the Warsaw Convention." Delta "waives the Montreal Convention liability limits… for all international travel. A special declaration of interest is not required" and pays "up to the original purchase price". You may file a claim, get a loaner device and choose your own repair vendor.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Canada Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

On board

On-board aisle chair
Conditional

Aircraft-dependent: "Not all aircrafts booked through Delta are large enough to accommodate onboard wheelchairs" — call 404-209-3434 (dial 711 for relay) to be booked on a suitable aircraft. "All Delta aircraft with more than 100 passenger seats also have an onboard wheelchair", designed to fit the aisles and reach the lavatories. They can only be used with flight attendant assistance and crew cannot lift or carry you.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Canada Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Accessible lavatory
Conditional

"Many of our larger aircraft have an accessible lavatory and you're welcome to use the lavatory most convenient for you." The onboard wheelchair "fits in the aircraft aisles and most lavatories", but "depending on the plane, onboard wheelchairs may not fit in the lavatory". Call 404-209-3434 with questions about accessible lavatories or to find a suitable aircraft. Flight attendants cannot assist with lavatory functions.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Crew help you transfer
Yes

Aisle wheelchair service assists you from the jet bridge onto the aircraft and down the aisle to your seat: "At the aircraft door, an agent will transfer you from your device into the aisle chair" (chest and leg straps). In flight, crew can assist with the onboard wheelchair and with stowing or retrieving carry-on items, but cannot lift or carry you or provide medical services. Delta will not leave a customer who is not independently mobile unattended for more than 30 minutes.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Canada Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Seating & movable armrests
Yes

"Many of our aircraft have armrests that can be lifted up to assist in the boarding or deplaning process, and you're invited to request the seat that works best for you within your purchased cabin." Seats near the front can be reserved for customers with a fused or immobile leg, a service animal, or who require an aisle chair. Aircraft delivered to Delta after April 1992 have movable aisle armrests on at least half of the aisle seats. Call 404-209-3434 or message Delta to choose the seat.

Additional Assistance (Complaint Resolution Officials, TSA/DOT contacts) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Canada Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Fleet detail. Delta publishes the cargo-door opening (height x width) of every type behind its "Will My Wheelchair Fit?" tool: B717-200 27" x 51" (68.6 x 129.5 cm); CRJ-200/700/900 31" x 41" (78.7 x 104.1 cm); A220-100/-300 31" x 44" (78.7 x 111.8 cm); E-170 and ERJ-175 33" x 41" (83.8 x 104.1 cm); B737-800 and B737-900ER 33" x 46" (83.8 x 116.8 cm); B757-200/-300 42" x 53" (106.7 x 134.6 cm); A319/A320/A321/A321neo 46" x 69" (116.8 x 175.3 cm); A330-200/-300/-900neo, A350-900 and B767-300ER/-400ER 62" x 45" (157.5 x 114.3 cm). Delta's baggage page separately quotes Delta Connection CRJ-200/700/900 doors as 43" wide x 33" high, which is larger than the 41" x 31" in its own tool dataset — the smaller figures are used in the numeric fields here.

Worth knowing

Delta is one of the most fully documented carriers: a per-aircraft cargo-door dataset, a printable Mobility Device Handling Form, an explicit Montreal Convention waiver for mobility aids, gate delivery on request, and a refund of the fare difference when a device forces a more expensive flight (ticket bought direct from Delta on or after 17 March 2025, all flights Delta/Delta Connection, same day, same origin and destination, same cabin, with documentation). Points a human should re-check: (1) Delta's baggage page quotes Delta Connection CRJ-200/700/900 cargo doors as 43" wide x 33" high, but the dataset behind Delta's own "Will My Wheelchair Fit?" tool says 31" high x 41" wide for the same aircraft — this record uses the smaller, binding figures. (2) The baggage page list "These are the different battery types: Wet-cell/Spillable, Dry-cell/Non-spillable, Not permitted as checked or carry-on baggage" looks like a CMS error: the third bullet is not a battery type and all three link to the same page. (3) RESOLVED 2026-07-29 by re-fetching delta.com: 404-209-3434 is the current accessibility number (it is the tel: link on the Wheelchair Services page and appears on the Overview, Need Help and Additional Assistance pages); 404-209-2424 is printed exactly once, on the Additional Assistance page for boarding/deplaning/connection help, and is almost certainly a typo. Both are kept because both are genuinely printed, with labels that make the distinction clear. (4) Delta says lithium-ion wheelchair batteries "have no restrictions" yet asks for the watt-hour rating on the handling form. CORRECTED 2026-07-29: an earlier note claimed the 160 Wh figure on delta.com "is for personal electronics" — Delta does not say that. Its battery page states flatly that lithium-ion batteries have "a maximum of 160-watt hours per battery" and that anything above 160 Wh "is prohibited from carriage on all passenger aircraft", with no mobility-aid carve-out; equally, it never applies that number to a wheelchair. Because Delta neither publishes a mobility-aid Wh cap nor states there is none, all three watt-hour fields stay null rather than importing 160 Wh (or the ICAO 300 Wh default) or reading "no restrictions" as an explicit "no_limit". (5) No maximum device weight is published anywhere. Delta also runs a "White Glove Service" mobility team in hubs and key markets, and Complaint Resolution Officials are stationed at every airport it serves; away from the airport, reach one via Reservations and ask for the CRO Desk. Delta directs security questions to TSA Cares (855-787-2227), which is not a Delta line.

Sources

Every figure above traces to one of these.

  1. s1 Wheelchairs, Scooters and Assistive Devices (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  2. s2 Accessible Travel Services — Overview (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  3. s3 Additional Assistance (Complaint Resolution Officials, TSA/DOT contacts) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  4. s4 Baggage — Medical Supplies & Wheelchairs (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  5. s5 Baggage — Battery or Fuel-Powered items (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  6. s6 Mobility Device Handling Form (PDF, revision 4/2024) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  7. s7 Canada Accessibility Plan & Feedback Process (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  8. s8 Need Help — contact numbers (Accessible Travel Services, Disability Assistance) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  9. s9 Aircraft cargo door dimensions dataset behind the "Will My Wheelchair Fit?" tool (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  10. s10 Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights (US DOT text published by Delta) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  11. s11 Blind, Low Vision, Deaf or Hard of Hearing Travelers (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  12. s12 Accessibility Service Request Form (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29

Record quality

Record status researched · confidence high · 12 official sources · 16 contacts · 79% of the fields this reference tracks are answered. Newest source read 29 July 2026, the day before this page was built. What these mean.