The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has released its annual Airport Accessibility report for April 2023 to March 2024, showing positive trends in the treatment of passengers with reduced mobility and disabilities across the country’s airports.
Notably, for the first time since 2020, no UK airport received a ‘poor’ rating for accessibility, reflecting the sector’s ongoing efforts to enhance services for all passengers.
The CAA’s report ranks UK airports with an annual passenger volume exceeding 150,000 based on their accommodation and treatment of passengers requiring assistance. This year, 11 airports were rated ‘very good’ for their accessibility services, 12 airports received a ‘good’ rating, and only five were found to ‘need improvement.’
The ‘very good’ category included airports such as Belfast City, City of Derry, Cornwall Newquay, East Midlands, Glasgow Prestwick, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted, Newcastle, and Teesside.
Airports rated as ‘good’ included Aberdeen, Belfast International, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Exeter, Inverness, London City, London Luton, Manchester, and Sumburgh. Notably, London Heathrow progressed from a ‘needs improvement’ rating in 2022/2023 to ‘good,’ following significant investment in staff for accessibility support services.
However, the report identified that Bristol, London Gatwick, Cardiff Wales, Liverpool, and Norwich airports ‘need improvement.’ These airports are being encouraged by the CAA to take further action to enhance their accessibility services.
Despite the progress noted in the report, the CAA stressed that more needs to be done to ensure that the experience of disabled passengers is on par with that of other travellers.
Anna Bowles, Head of Consumer Policy and Enforcement at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:Making aviation accessible to all is an important part of our work to protect the public and enable the aerospace sector. Progress is being made, and not rating any airports ‘poor’ this year is welcome, but there’s more work to do, especially by those airports we have rated ‘needs improvement’ in our report. We will continue to work with the sector to ensure that standards are maintained and improved.
The Airport Accessibility Framework, introduced by the CAA in 2014, has been instrumental in driving improvements across UK airports over the past decade. The framework outlines the CAA’s expectations for the treatment of passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility, and the annual publication of accessibility results serves to hold the industry accountable.
In response to a significant increase in demand for accessibility services, the CAA has continued to engage with airports, encouraging them to increase staffing levels and invest in equipment, particularly during the quieter winter months.
The regulator has also introduced a new element to the report, providing a deeper assessment of specific airports. This year, London Heathrow, London Stansted, and London Luton underwent more detailed evaluations, a practice that will continue in future reports.
In addition to the airport accessibility report, the CAA has published a new accessibility framework for airlines. This guidance, developed in consultation with passengers, industry stakeholders, disability charities, and consumer groups, aims to complement the airport framework. It is designed to provide transparency on airline performance and to drive improvements in the accessibility of air travel for passengers flying from the UK.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said:Everyone has the right to travel with dignity, and it is clear that more needs to be done to make accessible and enjoyable flying a reality for everyone. I look forward to working closely with the UK Civil Aviation Authority and industry on this important matter. I am pleased to see the Civil Aviation Authority’s new airline performance framework, to ensure airlines are providing passengers with the best possible service when they fly and are working to improve accessibility of the sector.
