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 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, Air France aircraft are not equipped with power outlets that enable you to plug in your respiratory devices on board. Therefore, we recommend that you verify your device's ability to power itself, and, if needed, come prepared with additional batteries. We recommend that you inform us no less than 48 hours before your departure of your need to use respiratory devices. In all cases, we recommend you contact our Saphir service, your booking agent or your travel agency for more information. 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 oxygen tanks is prohibited on board, as well as is their transport in the hold.
  • Please be informed that the transport of personal oxygen tanks can create difficulties at security check points in certain airports.
  • You are required to inform us at least 48 hours before your departure if you are transporting personal oxygen tanks.