18 airports rated as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ for accessibility efforts by UK CAA

Airport services for disabled and less mobile passengers have improved significantly over the last year, a new UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) report shows.

The aviation regulator’s ‘Airport Accessibility Report’, published on 20 July 2023, which assesses 26 of the largest UK airports, details airports’ efforts in providing disabled and less mobile passengers the standard of service to which they are entitled.

In the year covered by the report, April 2022 to March 2023, 18 airports consistently achieved a good or very good rating.

Seven airports improved from a poor rating to a good or very good rating over the year. These airports struggled to meet performance targets in the first two quarters, UK CAA says, but improved to a ‘very good’ rating by the end of the year.

Among those is Manchester Airport, which has invested heavily in recruitment and equipment and subsequently delivered significant improvements in the quality of the assistance service at the airport.

London Luton, which was previously highlighted as a lower performing airport in an interim report published in December, has also made significant improvements, scoring very good in the last quarter.

While London Heathrow continues to be rated as ‘needs improvement’ in the latest report, the airport demonstrated improvements in the service provided to passengers across all four quarters. This was against a backdrop of a 50 percent increase in the proportion of passengers using the assistance service since 2019, alongside being the airport with the highest total demand for assistance services in the UK airports.

The report also notes that the airport achieved the performance standards needed to be rated as ‘good’ in the April 2023 to June 2023 period.

Paul Smith, Joint-Interim Chief Executive at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Today’s report shows the dedicated efforts of airports across the UK to ensure that all passengers receive the standard of service they deserve.

“With 18 airports consistently achieving good or very good ratings, and others demonstrating significant improvements, the industry is making strides in returning accessibility levels to those seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s also important to acknowledge that there is still a way to go in providing a consistently good service for disabled and less mobile passengers across the industry, particularly for those with more complex needs, and throughout the busier summer months.”

The UK CAA has worked alongside airports to improve experiences for passengers with reduced mobility, focusing on encouraging airports to increase staffing and invest in equipment during the quieter winter months. This has driven the improvements across UK airports, and the regulator expects to see continued improvements over future quarters.

“The UK Civil Aviation Authority remains committed to working with airports, airlines, industry stakeholders, and advocacy groups to drive forward further improvements,” Paul added.

Accessible aviation has been making headlines over the last few months.

Recent UK Government measures now mean that if disabled passengers’ wheelchairs are damaged on domestic UK flights, they can get full and fair compensation for damage caused.

Alongside the Department for Transport’s new disabled passenger protection measures, it also released a training video aimed at airport ground handlers to ensure vital mobility equipment is being handled correctly to minimise damage. British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) members, OttoBock and eFoldi, took part in creating the training video and supplied the equipment that was used in the guidance demonstration.

Also to help tackle some of the barriers of flying as a wheelchair user, the Air 4 All consortium released of a first-of-its-kind aeroplane seat prototype that allows people who use a powerchair to remain in their own chairs for the entire journey.

The chair, acting as a regular aeroplane chair, has a removable backrest so that the seat can be folded up into the space that the removed backrest has provided. The powerchair can then be reversed into the space, slotting in to connect with a small rail that secures the chair to the floor.

See the prototype in action here.