Wheelchair Assistance at Gran Canaria Airport: How It Works
Booking the free PRM service and what happens on the day
Travelling with reduced mobility? Gran Canaria Airport offers a free PRM service that guides you through check-in, security and to your gate. Book with your airline in advance, then look for the "Sin Barreras" symbol on arrival.
Overview
Gran Canaria Airport (LPA) offers a free PRM service for passengers who need extra help getting around. PRM stands for "Passengers with Reduced Mobility". You book it through your airline before you fly. At the airport, the Sin Barreras team meets you and helps you through check-in, security, and to your gate.
What Is the PRM Service?
PRM means "Passengers with Reduced Mobility". At Spanish airports, this service is run by Aena, the national airport operator. You will see it called "special assistance", "accessibility service", or "mobility assistance" in different places. At the airport itself, look for a wheelchair symbol on a yellow background with the words "Sin Barreras" (Spanish for "without barriers"). This is the name used on-site, so it is useful to remember even if you are not searching in Spanish.
Who Can Use the Service? (Not Just Wheelchair Users)
Many travellers think this service is only for people who use a wheelchair every day. That is not correct. According to Aena, the service is for any passenger whose mobility is reduced — this can be physical, sensory, or cognitive, and it can be permanent or temporary. It also covers older travellers or anyone who finds it hard to manage a large airport alone.
In practice, this means: even if you can walk, you can still ask for help if you find long walks through check-in, security, and to the gate difficult — for example because of poor eyesight, tiredness, or trouble finding your way. You usually do not need a medical certificate. Telling the airline when you book is enough.
Step 1: Book Before You Travel
The most important step happens before you reach the airport. Tell your airline, travel agent, or tour operator that you need mobility assistance. Do this when you book your flight, or at the latest 48 hours before departure. The airline passes this information on to the PRM office at Gran Canaria Airport. You do not need to call the airport yourself — the team will already know you are coming.
Step 2: What Happens at the Airport
Once you arrive at the airport, there are two ways to get help:
- Wait for assistance to come to you. Every airport entrance has a free assistance phone. Use it to call the PRM team, who will come and meet you. They may ask if you already have a booking — since airlines usually notify the office in advance, this is normally already on file.
- Go to the PRM office yourself. If you feel able to walk there, you can go directly to the assistance office. Staff will check your booking and you can wait there instead of at the entrance — this sometimes saves a little time.
Finding the PRM office: Enter the International departures hall, then head left towards the national/domestic terminal area. The office is right in the connecting corridor — this is the shortest route from any drop-off point.
What Happens Next
After a short wait, a member of the assistance team will walk with you through check-in and security, and take you all the way to your seat on the plane. You do not need to manage anything else yourself — your luggage and the rest of the process are handled together with you.
Arriving on Gran Canaria
The service also covers arrivals. If you have booked assistance, staff meet you at the aircraft door and help you to baggage reclaim or the exit. The same rule applies as for departures: the earlier your airline knows, the smoother the handover at the gate.
How Long Will You Wait?
Some waiting time is normal, especially during busy periods when many flights land or depart close together and staff numbers are limited. Build in some extra time, and — as with any flight — try not to arrive at the very last minute.
Quick Facts
- Cost: Free for all passengers.
- Booking: Must be arranged in advance with your airline, travel agent, or tour operator — ideally at booking, and no later than 48 hours before departure.
- At the airport: No separate phone booking needed — your airline informs the PRM office automatically.
- How to spot it: Wheelchair symbol on a yellow background, marked "Sin Barreras".
- Waiting times: Possible during busy periods, as staff availability is limited.
- Online booking form: AENA PMR Service Booking
Getting There / Transport Connections
The PRM office is located at the International departures hall, right at the corridor to the national terminal — the shortest walk from any drop-off point, only around 50 metres from the nearest entrance. If you arrive by taxi or private transfer, you'll be dropped right at the terminal entrance; the assistance team takes over from the check-in area onward.