All airlines Asia Pacific
PAL Express
Powered chairs need the airline’s prior approval · carried free · 72 h notice · no watt-hour cap on an installed battery.
- Advance notice
- 72hours before departure
- Powered wheelchair
- Conditional
- Lithium, battery installed
- No stated limit
- Cost to carry
- Free
Who to contact
Transcribed from the airline’s own pages, exactly as it labels them.
- PhonePhilippines (Manila) — PAL Reservations Hotline, special assistance
- PhoneUnited States / Canada — toll-free Reservations Hotline
- Online form
PAL Express (Air Philippines Corporation) has no separate website — palexpress.com.ph does not resolve — and is booked and served through philippineairlines.com, which publishes PAL Express's own General Conditions of Carriage. The Reservations Hotline and the Disability Assistance Form are the published assistance channels; "Other cities in the Philippines" are listed on PAL's Global Reservations Hotline page. A Complaint Resolution Officer (CRO) is available at airports per PAL's US DOT page, though PAL Express does not fly to the USA.
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.
PAL Express GCOC Art. 8 Sec. 6(d) requires APC to carry wheelchairs and disability-assistive devices unless inconsistent with safety, and Art. 7 Sec. 4(b) makes assistance involving "packaging of wheelchair and wheelchair batteries" subject to advance notice and prior arrangements. PAL site: advise at least 48 h in advance; "If your powered equipment does not comply with these regulations, we regret that we are prohibited by law to load it on board the aircraft."
PAL Express (Air Philippines Corporation) General Conditions of Carriage — passenger and baggage, CAB approval May 2018 as amended 16 May 2026 (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): lithium-powered wheelchairs are accepted. Non-collapsible with a non-removable battery — battery stays in the device, terminals insulated, chair switched off. Collapsible/removable — the battery must be removed, protected from short circuit and carried as cabin baggage.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): for a non-collapsible wheelchair with a non-removable lithium battery that stays installed, "No battery power rating (WH) limitation."
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): where the lithium battery is removed and carried in the cabin, "The power rating of the battery must not exceed 300Wh, or for devices fitted with two batteries, not exceed 160Wh each."
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): "You're allowed to take one spare battery not exceeding 300Wh, or two spare batteries not exceeding 160Wh each. They must be carried as cabin baggage."
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Maximum two: "one spare battery not exceeding 300Wh, or two spare batteries not exceeding 160Wh each", carried as cabin baggage.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Depends on the chair: a non-collapsible chair with a non-removable battery keeps its battery installed; a collapsible chair with a removable lithium battery must have the battery removed and carried in the cabin; a spillable wet battery must be removed if the chair cannot be stowed upright; a non-spillable removable battery must be removed and checked in in a protective pouch.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): non-collapsible equipment with a non-removable battery — battery stays in the device, terminals insulated, device switched off. Collapsible equipment with a removable battery — battery must be removed, terminals insulated, packed in a protective pouch and checked in; the chair "may then be checked-in without restriction". Dry cell: "No restriction", chair checked in and protected from accidental activation.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): if the wheelchair can be stowed upright the battery stays in the device securely attached, terminals insulated, device switched off and protected from accidental activation. If it cannot be stowed upright, the battery must be removed and carried in strong, rigid, leak-proof packaging that is checked in, secured upright and surrounded by compatible absorbent material.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): "The battery terminals must be protected from short circuits by insulating the terminals (e.g. by taping over exposed terminals)", the wheelchair must be switched off and protected from accidental activation, and removed batteries must be individually placed in a protective pouch.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
No battery spec sheet, MSDS or manufacturer label is demanded in writing. A Medical Information Form (MEDIF) may be required 72 h ahead for aisle-chair, boarding-lift or immobile passengers.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published for PAL Express aircraft. The only cargo-hold tables on the site cover PAL mainline B777-300ER, A330-343, A350-941 and the A321 fleet; no figures are given for PAL Express's Dash 8-400s.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published — no weight cap for a powered wheelchair is stated.
Not published for powered chairs.
PAL warns twice that "Regulations on carriage of mobility aids may differ from airport to airport" and that non-compliant powered equipment cannot legally be loaded. The published cargo-hold dimension tables cover mainline widebodies and the A321 only — a powered-chair user flying a PAL Express turboprop has no published hold figures to check against.
Manual wheelchairs
PAL Express GCOC Art. 8 Sec. 6(d): "Subject to laws, rules, or government regulations, APC shall carry passenger wheelchairs or other disability-assistive devices, unless such carriage would be inconsistent with safety requirements."
Not published for wheelchairs. PAL says canes, walking sticks, crutches and foldable walkers may be taken into the cabin free of charge subject to space, but of wheelchairs it says only "Your manual wheelchair can be checked in as baggage if it folds to within a space of 13 inches by 36 inches by 42 inches without the need to remove or disassemble any part of it" — it offers no in-cabin stowage for a chair.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
No in-cabin stowage dimensions published. PAL's 13 x 36 x 42 in (33 x 91.4 x 106.7 cm) folding figure is written as the condition for a manual wheelchair to be "checked in as baggage", not as a cabin-closet limit, so it is not recorded here as a cabin-stowage dimension.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published for PAL Express aircraft. philippineairlines.com publishes cargo-hold dimension tables only for PAL mainline B777-300ER, A330-343, A350-941 and A321 aircraft — nothing for the Dash 8-400s that fly most PAL Express services. The 13 x 36 x 42 in folding figure is quoted under cabin_stowage rather than recorded as a number, because PAL words it as a check-in criterion rather than a maximum chair size.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published — no weight cap for a manual wheelchair is stated.
Not published — PAL does not say the chair is returned at the aircraft door. On arrival, passengers who requested assistance "will be requested to deplane last" and an attendant meets them at the gate.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL: "Regulations on carriage of mobility aids may differ from airport to airport. Please check the requirements of the airport you will be traveling through."
Booking & cost
PAL site (not 2P-specific): 48 hours for special assistance and an airport wheelchair, and "at least 72 hours before your flight" for an aisle/cabin wheelchair or a boarding lift, with a MEDIF submitted 72 h before departure. Powered wheelchairs: advise "at least 48 hours in advance". PAL Express's own GCOC Art. 7 Sec. 4(b) says acceptance of passengers needing assistance such as "packaging of wheelchair and wheelchair batteries" may be subject to advance notice and prior arrangements with APC.
PAL Express (Air Philippines Corporation) General Conditions of Carriage — passenger and baggage, CAB approval May 2018 as amended 16 May 2026 (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site: "If you require special assistance, please let us know at least 48 hours before your flight by visiting any PAL ticket office or by calling our Reservations Hotline ... You can also request for special assistance by submitting a Disability Assistance Form at least 48 hours before your flight." A MEDIF may be required for aisle-chair or boarding-lift assistance.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): "your personal device or equipment may be stored in our cargo hold as checked baggage and will not be counted as part of your free baggage allowance", and canes, walking sticks, crutches and foldable walkers "can be taken on board the cabin of the aircraft free of charge subject to space availability".
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published as a number — PAL says personal mobility devices are carried in the hold outside the free baggage allowance but does not state how many per passenger.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL Express GCOC Art. 14: carriage is subject to the Montreal Convention (or Warsaw as amended) liability rules, with no numeric baggage limit reproduced. Where the Convention does not apply, Sec. 3 states APC assumes no liability for pre-existing damage or normal wear and tear such as minor cuts, scratches and broken zippers, and its liability is capped at the amount of proven damages; a higher declared value may be bought under Art. 8 Sec. 8.
On board
PAL site (not 2P-specific): "We can provide wheelchairs at the airport and onboard our flights"; aisle or cabin wheelchairs fit the aircraft aisles, an attendant assists the passenger to their seat and cabin crew assist to and from the lavatory. Request at least 72 h ahead; a MEDIF may be required. Availability on PAL Express's turboprop fleet specifically is not stated.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published — PAL says cabin crew can assist a passenger to and from the lavatory using the on-board wheelchair, but describes no accessible lavatory.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): attendants with manual wheelchairs assist through check-in, immigration, pre-departure lavatories and boarding; an aisle/cabin wheelchair is used to take the passenger to their seat. Passenger lifts for boarding by stairs are available only at Manila NAIA Terminal 2, Cebu and Davao (request 72 h ahead); ramp-equipped buses serve bus gates and transfers at NAIA 1 and 2.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL site (not 2P-specific): special seating is offered to passengers unable to transfer over fixed armrests who need an aisle chair, with very limited or no mobility in the cabin, travelling with a service animal or a personal companion (given an adjacent seat), with developmental or intellectual disabilities, blind/vision- or hearing-impaired, or with a fused or immobilised leg. Seats should be selected 24 h ahead via the hotline.
Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Fleet detail. philippineairlines.com publishes cargo-hold dimensions for PAL mainline B777-300ER, A330-343, A350-941 and A321 aircraft only. No hold or door figures are published for the De Havilland Dash 8-400 fleet on which most PAL Express (2P) flights operate.
Worth knowing
PAL Express is the trading name of Air Philippines Corporation (APC), which per its own General Conditions of Carriage does business as "Airphil Express; PAL express; and Philippine Airlines". It has no separate website (palexpress.com.ph does not resolve); its GCOC is published on philippineairlines.com, which is therefore treated here as PAL Express's own domain. ATTRIBUTION CAVEAT: the acceptance, battery and assistance detail comes from the PAL-branded 'Senior Citizens and PWDs' page, which nowhere distinguishes PR- from 2P-operated flights and never names PAL Express; every fact taken from it is marked "PAL site (not 2P-specific)". Only the GCOC statements (wheelchairs shall be carried unless inconsistent with safety; wheelchair/battery packaging assistance subject to advance notice and prior arrangement) are unambiguously PAL Express's own words. Two gaps a human should note: the published cargo-hold dimension tables cover mainline jets only, not the Dash 8-400s PAL Express flies; and PAL's line "Your manual wheelchair can be checked in as baggage if it folds to within a space of 13 inches by 36 inches by 42 inches" reuses the US ACAA cabin-closet dimensions but words them as a check-in criterion, so no dimension number was recorded from it.
Sources
Every figure above traces to one of these.
- s1 PAL Express (Air Philippines Corporation) General Conditions of Carriage — passenger and baggage, CAB approval May 2018 as amended 16 May 2026 (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s2 Senior Citizens and PWDs — wheelchair assistance, mobility aids and battery requirements (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s3 US DOT wheelchair assistance — Complaint Resolution Officer (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
Record quality
Record status researched · confidence high · 3 official sources · 3 contacts · 71% of the fields this reference tracks are answered. Newest source read 29 July 2026, the day before this page was built. What these mean.