Accessible travel
Air Canada is committed to being a leader in accessible travel. We believe in providing our services and reimagining our spaces with accessibility in mind.
- Air Canada Accessibility Services
- Service dogs
Service dogs
When travelling with a service dog, please keep the following in mind:
- Each passenger may travel with only one service dog.
- Exception: for flights to/from the U.S., you may travel with two service dogs. If needed, extra floor space is available for purchase.
- Your service dog must have been trained to perform tasks to assist a person with a disability.
- For domestic, international, and Caribbean flights, your service dog must have been individually trained by an organization or person specializing in service dog training1.
- Your service dog must always remain under your control during travel, and must be harnessed, held on a leash, or tethered while not in their kennel.
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By asking about your service dog’s size, weight, and other characteristics, we will assess if it can fit comfortably at your feet. If we determine that they can’t, you can request additional floor space by contacting Air Canada Accessibility Services at least 48 hours before your flight.
- If we determine that your service dog requires extra floor space, it's free of charge for flights within Canada. For all other flights, you'll need to purchase extra floor space.
- Your service dog must meet all the travel, entry or exit requirements of the country, province, state, or territory you are travelling to/from (see list below).
Travel requirements
Flights to the U.S.
The U.S. has specific regulations for dogs entering the country. Please consult our government regulations page for more information on these entry requirements.
You must complete and send Air Canada Accessibility Services the following forms2 at least 48 hours prior to departure3.
- U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form (English only)
- For flights of 8 hours or more, also complete: U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (English only)
All other flights
You must complete and send Air Canada Accessibility Services the following forms2 at least 48 hours prior to departure3.
You also need to provide identification or other documents issued by an organization or person specializing in service dog training. This card or document should identify the person requiring the service dog, and attest that the dog has been individually trained by the organization or person to perform a task to assist this person related to their disability.
1. We may ask for proof of certification.
2. Canadian National Institute for the Blind cardholders are not required to complete the form(s), but still need to contact Air Canada Accessibility Services to book their service animal.
3. Rest assured that we’ll make a reasonable effort to accommodate requests made within 48 hours.
Emotional support dogs
Only dogs are accepted as emotional support animals. Please remember the following while travelling with your emotional support dog:
- Your emotional support dog must be able to travel safely and comfortably in an approved pet carrier under the seat in front of you.
- If your emotional support dog can’t travel safely and comfortably in a carrier, they can travel in the pressurized baggage compartment available on most of our aircraft.
- Your emotional support dog must remain in their carrier for the full duration of your trip.
Travel requirements
At least 96 hours before your flight, please submit:
- A completed Emotional Support Dog Request – Acknowledgement and Confirmation of Behaviour form.
- A Medical/Mental Health Professional Form completed by a licensed medical or mental health professional who is in good standing with their governing body and attests that they are treating you for a mental health disability requiring an emotional support dog.
- A Veterinary Health Form confirming that your emotional support dog is free of ticks, fleas, and infectious or contagious diseases which may endanger other animals or public health. The Veterinarian Health Form must attest to the good behaviour of your dog and indicate that they will fit safely and comfortably in a carrier under the seat.
- Documentation demonstrating that your emotional support dog meets all travel, entry, or exit requirements of the country, province, state, or territory you are travelling to or from.
Curbside assistance
Airports in Canada offer curbside assistance at accessible drop off and pickup locations. This includes assistance into the airport or to your pickup location. For more information on this service and how to book it, please refer to the accessibility section on your airport’s website directly.
Our Commitments
As a partner to persons with disabilities, we make the following commitments:
Consult persons with disabilities and accessibility organizations, with a view to creating an enjoyable travel experience for persons with disabilities, whether in services or infrastructure, and providing a fulfilling employment experience in the workplace.
Develop and enhance accessibility features, policies and processes that broaden travel and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Train our employees and provide them with tools to encourage cooperation, lift barriers, and implement accommodations, both for our customers and our employees.
Promote a culture of respect and dignity in all our employees’ interactions with one another and with our customers and increase the representation of persons with disabilities within our workforce.
Collaborate with Canadian and international organizations and airport authorities to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities are considered in the workplace and throughout their travel experience.
These commitments reinforce our dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion in safe, accessible air travel for all customers, and accessible employment for all Air Canada employees.
Mike Rousseau
President and Chief Executive Officer, Air Canada
Our Accessibility Plan
We are committed to being leaders in accessible travel and believe in designing our products, services, and employment with accessibility in mind.
Questions or concerns
Do you need assistance with your upcoming travel plans? Contact Air Canada Accessibility Services at least 48 hours before departure, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Phone:
1-800-667-4732 (toll-free for Canada and the United States)
1-514-369-7039 (long distance charges apply)
Email:
accessible@aircanada.ca
Feedback on Accessibility Plan
Using any of the options below, you can provide accessibility feedback (including feedback on this Plan), request an alternate format of our Accessibility Plan, or request a description of our feedback process.
We will acknowledge your feedback in the same format you utilize. You can also submit anonymous feedback.
Online form:
Phone:
1-888-422-2408
(TTY and video relay available)
Mail:
Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
7373 Côte-Vertu Blvd. West
Ville Saint-Laurent, Quebec
H4S 1Z3
ZIP 1261
Director, Customer Accessibility
525 Viger Ave. Ouest
Montréal, Quebec
H2Z 0B2
Alternate formats
You can request our Accessibility Plan in any of the formats below by completing our online form.
Please allow 15 days
Large Print
Please allow 15 days
Braille
Please allow 45 days
Audio
Please allow 45 days
Website accessibility
At Air Canada, accessibility isn't just a checkbox—it’s an integral part of every innovation and interaction. We’re committed to providing the best possible travel experience to all people, addressing barriers in the built environment, products, and services that welcome and support people with disabilities.
Website accessibility
Air Canada is dedicated to making aircanada.com accessible to anyone with specific auditory, visual or mobility needs. We aim to enhance the accessibility and usability of our website by focusing on achieving level AA compliance as outlined within W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.
Compatible screen readers and tools
We consistently strive to accommodate diverse user preferences and guarantee accessibility across various platforms and screen readers. While we aim to address all feasible variations, for your convenience, we’ve listed the most popular ones below.
Software | Recommended browser |
---|---|
NVDA (desktop screen reader) | Firefox |
JAWS (desktop screen reader) | Chrome, Edge |
VoiceOver on iOS (mobile screen reader for Apple devices) | Safari, Chrome |
TalkBack (mobile screen reader for Android devices) | Chrome |