Respiratory difficulties

If you have respiratory difficulties, there are many ways for you to use therapeutic oxygen on board.

Therapeutic oxygen provided by the airline

Air France can provide you with therapeutic oxygen on board. This service is available for a fee and must be requested during booking, no less than 48 hours before your departure. Please note: this service may not be available when departing from certain airports or on certain flights. To find out if this service is available on your flight, please contact oursaphir assitance service.In most cases, you will be offered a kit (Wenoll WS120) that has been specially designed for air travel. This system functions “on demand” (rather than providing “continuous” oxygen). The system is extremely compact, with 600 liters of oxygen, enabling passengers to travel safely on long-haul flights. These kits can only be used on board the aircraft. As long as your oxygen needs do not surpass 2,8 liters per minute, you will not need any kind of medical certificate to use this equipment. Otherwise, you may be offered an alternative solution, if it exists. You will be asked for a medical certificate.

The use of respiratory devices

If you need to use a personal respiratory device on board, please use an approved portable oxygen concentrator.

Review the list of approved oxygen concentrators

These devices can be used throughout the entire flight. However, the outlets on our planes may not be used to plug in personal respiratory devices. Your device's battery charge must last at least one and a half times the duration of your flight. We encourage you to check your device's battery life and, if necessary, carry extra batteries. In all cases, we recommend that you contact the saphir assistance servicein advance and report the use of such equipment at least 48 hours before your flight. Please note: the number of lithium batteries authorized on board is limited; please seek more information during booking.

Personal oxygen tanks

Air France authorizes the transport of personal (gaseous) oxygen tanks in the cabin, provided that:

  • the height does not exceed 65 cm / 26 in maximum,
  • the weight is less than or equal to 5 kg / 11 lb,
  • they are equipped with a safety system that protects against the accidental discharge of their content.

Please note

  • The use of personal (gaseous) oxygen tanks is prohibited on board.
  • It is also prohibited to transport them in the hold.
  • Please be informed that transporting personal oxygen tanks can create difficulties at security checkpoints in certain airports.
  • You must inform us at least 48 hours before your departure if you are transporting personal oxygen tanks.