Flying With Hearing Aids: Should You Wear Them?

Woman wearing a hearing aid walking through TSA scanner.

Flying with hearing loss comes with many challenges.

Air travel can be stressful enough without having to wonder what to do with the devices you rely on to hear. Does the TSA require you to remove hearing aids at security? Should you turn them off during takeoff? Do Bluetooth hearing aids need to be put in airplane mode?

Fortunately, flying with hearing aids is usually pretty straightforward. You don’t need to remove them for airport security or turn them off during takeoff or landing. Keeping them in can help you stay connected to announcements, crew instructions, and conversations throughout your trip.

Still, flying with hearing loss presents a few situations that can raise questions for hearing aid users. Here’s what to know about wearing hearing aids while flying within the U.S., from TSA and airplane mode to cabin pressure, batteries, and in-flight audio.

Should you wear hearing aids when flying?

Yes, in most cases you should wear your hearing aids during a flight.

Takeoff and landing tend to raise the most questions. Cabin pressure is changing, passengers are being told to put devices in airplane mode, and certain electronics may need to be turned off or stowed. It’s reasonable to wonder whether any of those instructions apply to hearing aids.

“I generally recommend keeping hearing aids in during takeoff and landing so patients can continue to hear announcements and communicate effectively,” says audiologist Dr. Ruth Reisman, .

Unless you have another reason to take them out, keeping your hearing aids in can be useful throughout the travel day. Airports and airplanes are communication-heavy environments, and hearing aids may help you catch gate changes, boarding instructions, safety announcements, or a flight attendant speaking to you.

Hearing Aids and TSA Security

According to the TSA’s guidance for travelers with disabilities and medical conditions, you don’t need to remove your hearing aids before going through security. Hearing aids contain only small amounts of metal and typically won’t trigger a metal detector. If you need additional assistance during screening, you can request support through TSA Cares, preferably at least 72 hours before your flight.

Travel Phase	What to Do
TSA security screening	Leave them in. They rarely trigger metal detectors, and no removal is required.
Takeoff and landing	Keep them on. Hearing aids are exempt from the power-down rules that apply to other electronics.
Bluetooth/wireless features	Generally fine to leave on. The FAA permits low-power Bluetooth in flight; check your manufacturer's instructions if your model has a dedicated "airplane mode."
Cabin pressure changes	No effect on the device. Pressure changes affect your middle ear, not the hearing aid.
Cabin and engine noise	Optional adjustment. Try a noise-reduction program, lower the volume, or remove them temporarily if it's uncomfortable.
Sleeping in flight	Your choice. Many travelers remove them for comfort against a headrest; let the crew know if you do.
In-flight entertainment	May need to remove. Hearing aids don't typically connect directly to seatback audio systems.
Extending battery life	Optional. Removing them for part of a long flight preserves charge.

Do I have to turn off hearing aids during take off?

No. Hearing aids have long been exempt from the restrictions that apply to other portable electronic devices on airplanes, so you can leave them on during takeoff and landing.

That means when passengers are asked to power down electronics or put them into airplane mode, you don’t need to turn off your hearing aids. Wireless features and Bluetooth hearing aids may come with slightly different considerations.

Bluetooth Hearing Aids and Airplane Mode

You generally don’t need to turn off Bluetooth on your hearing aids when flying. While cellular connections must be disabled, the FAA permits low-power wireless communication such as Bluetooth during flight. Individual airlines and flight crews may have their own restrictions, so always follow crew instructions.

Some hearing aids have a flight or “Airplane Mode” that disables Bluetooth and other wireless features while keeping the hearing aids working. This can vary by brand and model; check your manufacturer’s instructions before traveling.

In general, with iPhones, turning on Airplane Mode usually won’t disconnect your hearing aids from the phone; it turns off cellular service, but Bluetooth should remain available. If it does disconnect, open up the Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it back on.

The same generally applies to Android phones. If your Bluetooth disconnects, you can turn it back on by swiping down to open Quick Settings, then tapping the Bluetooth icon to reconnect.

“From my own experience, the only patients I’ve had who needed to access hearing aid ‘Airplane Mode’ were those who worked in secure government facilities, classified situations, or other tightly regulated spaces,” says audiologist Amy Sarow, . “The 'Airplane Mode’ term is, in this case, a bit misleading, as it’s not the typical use case.”

Does flying affect ear pressure or hearing aids?

Changes in cabin pressure during takeoff and landing affect your ears, not your hearing aids.

As an airplane climbs or descends, pressure in the cabin changes. Your Eustachian tubes help equalize pressure between your middle ear and the surrounding environment. When they don’t equalize quickly enough, you may experience pressure, popping, muffled hearing, or ear pain, often called “airplane ear.”

The Eustachian tube, also called the pharyngotympanic tube, connects your middle ear to the nasopharynx, the upper part of your throat behind your nose. One of its jobs is regulating air pressure in the ear, which happens naturally when you swallow or yawn. Most people can also trigger it consciously, such as with the Valsalva maneuver, an exhalation against a closed airway, done by pinching your nose shut, closing your mouth, and gently blowing as if exhaling.

Wearing a hearing aid doesn’t cause this pressure change, which is why taking your hearing aids out won’t necessarily prevent airplane ear.

“Cabin pressure changes affect the middle ear rather than the hearing aid itself, although pressure, congestion, or Eustachian tube dysfunction can make the ears feel plugged and temporarily change how amplified sound is perceived,” Dr. Reisman explains.

However, if pressure or swelling makes an in-ear device feel uncomfortable, you can temporarily remove it. This may be particularly noticeable with custom completely-in-the-canal () or in-the-ear () hearing aids.

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Airplane Noise Can Make Hearing More Difficult

Aircraft cabins are noisy, and even with hearing aids, understanding speech over the constant sound of engines and airflow can be difficult. That can make everything from ordering a drink to understanding an announcement challenging.

Hearing aid users in the HearingTracker Forum describe handling cabin noise in different ways. Some leave their hearing aids on throughout the flight but turn down the volume or use a noise-reduction program. Others mute or remove them once they’re settled in.

Melissa, a frequent flyer with profound hearing loss in both ears, has developed a combination of strategies depending on what she’s doing during the flight:

Hearing aids in the plane are essential, but I do need to charge them on long haul flights. My background noise cancelling program on my hearing aids is OK, but I generally find myself turning them off completely to cancel out the noise from the plane, especially when I want to sleep.

If available, try your hearing aids’ noise-reduction or speech-in-noise program. Seeing the person speaking can also provide useful visual cues, and a may help with one-on-one conversations.

If amplified cabin noise becomes uncomfortable, temporarily removing your hearing aids is another option. Just remember that removing hearing aids is not the same as using hearing protection.

Man wearing earbuds sitting in the window seat on an airplane.

If your hearing aids feature a good noise-reduction or speech-in-noise program, they will filter out the airplane's ambient noise. The results should be as good as or better than the active noise cancellation feature found on modern earbuds, like the Apple AirPods Pro 3, except that speech will be amplified.

In-flight entertainment can present another challenge. Melissa says she has trouble understanding dialogue through an airplane’s entertainment system, so she relies on captions when she uses it. For content on her own devices, she’s found a workaround that helps reduce competing cabin noise.

“I do use Bluetooth from my laptop directly to my hearing aids and then wear noise cancelling headphones over the top to cancel out engine sounds,” she says.

For some travelers with hearing loss, the bigger challenge isn’t wearing hearing aids on the plane, it’s navigating the airport. That theme came up repeatedly among HearingTracker forum members, particularly around boarding announcements and gate changes.

Woman holding a phone standing next to an airport kiosk.

Navigating the airport and catching boarding announcements or gate changes can be a real challenge for travelers with hearing loss. Using a flight tracking app or asking a fellow traveler to keep you updated on boarding announcements may help alleviate your pre-flight nerves.

When one member posted about pre-flight nerves, navigating solo travel with hearing loss, several members chimed in to suggest things like using a flight-tracking app to keep tabs on departure times and gate numbers rather than relying solely on audible announcements. Asking your seatmate to alert you to important announcements can also help.

Melissa uses a similar strategy because hearing aids alone don’t necessarily make airport announcements accessible:

“Airport accessibility hasn’t been that easy to access, and I can’t hear most messages if I’m waiting at the gate, like requests for boarding groups,” she says. “I generally use an airline app to keep me updated on delays and changes to boarding gates, and I will ask questions when in doubt.”

So if airport or in-flight announcements are difficult to understand, don’t rely on your hearing aids alone. Airline staff can provide important information in other ways. Carly Sygrove’s guide to flying with hearing loss covers your legal rights, available accommodations, and accessibility policies at major U.S. airlines.

Reasons You May Choose to Remove Hearing Aids

Just because you can wear your hearing aids the entire flight doesn’t mean you have to. You may prefer to temporarily take them out if:

They become uncomfortable. Pressure or swelling may make some in-ear devices feel tighter than usual.
Cabin noise is bothersome. Some users may find amplified engine and airflow noise tiring or distracting.
You want to use headphones. Hearing aids typically won’t connect directly to an airplane’s in-flight entertainment system. Depending on the aircraft and your devices, you may prefer to remove your hearing aids and use wired or Bluetooth headphones instead.
You want to conserve battery life. Removing them for part of a long flight can extend the remaining charge.
You’re sleeping. Hearing aids may be uncomfortable against a headrest or travel pillow. For overnight flights, consider letting the cabin crew know that you won’t be wearing your hearing devices while sleeping.

If you do take your hearing aids out, put them directly into their case rather than a seat pocket or tray table, where they can easily be forgotten or fall to the floor.

Tips for Flying With Hearing Aids

A little planning can help keep your hearing aids powered, accessible, and useful throughout your trip.

Pack hearing aid essentials in your carry-on. Keep your case, charger or extra disposable batteries, cleaning supplies, , domes, and any accessories you rely on with you. If traveling internationally, don’t forget a plug adapter. Spare lithium batteries and power banks must be carried in your carry-on rather than checked baggage.
Bring backup power. Charge rechargeable hearing aids before you leave and consider packing a compatible power bank for long travel days. If you use disposable batteries, bring extras in case of delays.
Look for assistive listening systems at the airport. Some airports offer hearing loops at gates, information desks, and other areas, which can send audio directly to hearing aids or cochlear implants with a . is a newer option that can stream announcements to Auracast-enabled hearing devices. Adoption is still in its early stages (Frankfurt Airport became the first to test Auracast for gate announcements in January 2026) but more hearing aids are being designed to support the technology as it rolls out.
Check your in-flight entertainment options. Bluetooth availability varies by airline and aircraft, and direct pairing with hearing aids isn’t guaranteed. Depending on your devices, a compatible transmitter or manufacturer accessory may provide another way to stream audio.
Plan for cabin noise. If amplified engine and airflow noise becomes uncomfortable, try another hearing aid program or noise-management setting to help protect your hearing on a plane.

While these technologies can help, individual experiences with them vary. Melissa says haven’t worked particularly well for her, even when she was able to connect:

I have never had much success with hearing loops. I’m not sure if it’s something to do with Oticon hearing aids but even when connected, not much information would be transmitted. I would be interested in Auracast, although admittedly, I have become a little cynical after my hearing loop experience.

Beyond managing your hearing aids, a few communication strategies can make navigating the airport easier. When booking, identify yourself as a traveler with hearing loss and request any needed assistance. At the airport, let gate agents know you may not hear announcements and ask for important updates visually or in writing and, if needed, request preboarding. Monitor airport displays and your airline’s app for gate changes, delays, and boarding information. Lastly, consider obtaining a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard from the information center at participating airports.

Even for an experienced traveler, asking for help may simply become part of the routine as hearing changes. “I’ve been flying all the time as my hearing deteriorated, so it has been a progressive adjustment,” Melissa says. “I do have to ask for help a lot more now.”

The Bottom Line: You Usually Don't Need to Remove Your Hearing Aids

For most hearing aid users, flying doesn't require doing anything dramatically different: Wear your hearing aids if they help you communicate, and don't routinely remove them for takeoff or landing.

In fact, keeping your hearing aids in may make it easier to stay connected to important announcements, safety information, and conversations throughout your trip.

There's no single preferred way to manage hearing aids once you're in the air. Some travelers leave them on, some turn them down or mute them to manage cabin noise, and others remove them for part of the flight or while sleeping.

If pressure makes your hearing aids physically uncomfortable, it's fine to remove them temporarily and keep them safely in their case. And if you use Bluetooth hearing aids, check your manufacturer's instructions before flying so you know how to manage their wireless features.

Most importantly, flying with hearing aids doesn't require choosing between your devices and a safe, comfortable flight. A little preparation can help you use them in whatever way works best for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let airport or airline staff know you may not hear or understand PA announcements and ask to receive important updates directly or visually. You can also monitor airport displays and your airline's app.

That communication issue came up repeatedly among HearingTracker forum members, who described strategies such as staying close to the gate, monitoring flight information on their phones, and proactively telling airline staff that they may miss audible announcements.

Our guide to flying with hearing loss covers airline accommodations and accessibility rights in more detail.

Should You Take Your Hearing Aids Out When Flying?