Accessibility at UK airports has improved but there is “more work to do”, the aviation regulator has said.
The annual report by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) found no UK airport had received a “poor” rating for accessibility performance over the last year, for the first time since 2020.
The report ranked every UK airport with a passenger volume of more than 150,000 on their treatment of passengers with reduced mobility and disabilities.
And Belfast City Airport retained its ‘Very Good’ rating, the highest available, for accessibility, as did City of Derry Airport. Belfast International was ranked ‘Good’.
The report ranks airports across the UK on how they ensure disabled and less mobile passengers have the same opportunities for air travel as others, and it marks the seventh consecutive year that Belfast City Airport has achieved the accolade.
Despite a greater demand for assistance services, 11 airports were rated “very good” for accessibility, 12 were rated “good”, and only five - Bristol, London Gatwick, Cardiff, Liverpool and Norwich - were rated as “needs improvement”, the CAA said.
The airports rated “very good” were Newcastle, Belfast City, City of Derry, Cornwall Newquay, East Midlands, Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted, Southampton and Teesside.
Those receiving a “good” ranking were Aberdeen, Belfast International, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Exeter, Inverness, London City, London Luton, Manchester, Shetland’s airport Sumburgh, and London Heathrow, which had progressed from its “needs improvement” rating in last year’s report after investing in staff to bolster its accessibility services.
No airports were categorised as “poor” – the lowest category – for the first time since 2020.
The CAA encouraged airports to increase staffing and invest in equipment during winter when demand for flights is lower.
Anna Bowles, head of consumer policy and enforcement at the CAA, 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.”
Mark Beattie, chief operations officer at Belfast City Airport, said: “The safety and comfort of our passengers is a top priority and this rating is testament to the commitment of our staff to delivering an experience that exceeds expectations for all.
“We have implemented a number of innovative initiatives designed to help our passengers feel safe and secure, including our extremely popular ‘try before you fly’ Autism in the Air programme, which sees a number of families attend the airport for a familiarisation visit ahead of the busy summer period.
“Our strong relationships with local disability groups represented at our Accessibility Forum help us to understand how to effectively meet our passengers’ needs, and we hold regular training sessions with our Special Assistance team, security personnel, and the wider airport community to continually improve our service.”
