Uk Civil Aviation Authority Highlights Major Progress In Airport Accessibility, But Calls For Improvements At Heathrow, Edinburgh, And Glasgow Prestwick: You Need To Know

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published really airports crossed nan UK person fared successful position of work for abnormal and little mobile passengers, successful its yearly Airport Accessibility Report, which looks astatine nan apical 30 UK airports according to rider numbers, during nan twelvemonth 209424. This report, which covers nan play from April 2024 to March 2025, besides assesses nan value of customer work provided to passengers pinch reduced mobility and establishes bully believe for nan aviation sector.

In 2024, astir 5.5 cardinal passengers sought assistance astatine UK airports, representing astir 1.9 percent of nan full rider traffic. This is simply a important summation from erstwhile years, pinch 0.94 percent of passengers requesting assistance successful 2010, 1.35 percent successful 2019, and 1.69 percent successful 2023. The increasing request for assistance services reflects nan accrued consciousness and value of accessibility successful nan recreation industry. The study reveals that while astir UK airports performed admirably, location remains room for improvement, peculiarly astatine 3 airports that person been flagged arsenic needing further attention.

The CAA’s Airport Accessibility Framework, which has been successful spot since 2014, intends to standardize nan expectations for airdrome accessibility and guarantee that each passengers, sloppy of their mobility status, person a precocious level of service. The model includes 3 main appraisal criteria: capacity against waiting clip targets for arriving and departing passengers, rider restitution pinch assistance services, and nan consultation process pinch abnormal passengers and defense groups done Access Forums.

Performance Highlights: Success Stories and Improvements

The study reveals that 11 airports person been rated ‘Very Good’ for their accessibility services. These airports person not only met nan required standards but person consistently delivered fantabulous work to abnormal passengers. Notable names successful this class include:

• Belfast City
• East Midlands
• Newcastle
• Teeside

These airports maintained their ‘Very Good’ ratings from erstwhile years. In addition, respective airports showed important betterment compared to past year, including:

• Aberdeen
• Belfast International
• Bournemouth
• Exeter
• London Luton

These airports, which had antecedently earned a ‘Good’ rating, person now elevated their work to nan ‘Very Good’ category.

Two different awesome airports, Cardiff and London Gatwick, person made a singular recovery, improving from a ‘Needs Improvement’ standing successful nan erstwhile twelvemonth to a ‘Good’ standing successful 2024. This displacement highlights nan occurrence of their efforts successful addressing operational issues and improving accessibility services for abnormal passengers.

Positive Performance and Major Gains Across nan UK

The mostly of airports, 14 successful total, received a ‘Good’ rating, a clear motion that nan accessibility services provided are coagulated and dependable. Among nan airports successful this class are:

• Bristol
• Liverpool
• Norwich
• Birmingham
• Inverness
• London City
• Manchester
• City of Derry
• Cornwall Newquay
• Glasgow
• Leeds Bradford
• London Stansted
• London Southend
• Southampton

Notably, Bristol, Liverpool, and Norwich each made important strides successful improving their services aft being rated arsenic ‘Needs Improvement’ successful nan erstwhile year. This is simply a nonstop consequence of their ongoing committedness to providing enhanced assistance services for little mobile passengers.

Areas of Concern: Airports That Need Improvement

While nan study paints a affirmative image overall, location are 3 airports that person been flagged for not gathering nan required standards:

1. London Heathrow: Although Heathrow provided mostly bully services successful Terminals 2, 4, and 5, nan airdrome faced challenges successful assuring nan regulator that waiting clip standards astatine Terminal 3 were being met. The nonaccomplishment to supply reliable information connected waiting times astatine this terminal has resulted successful a ‘Needs Improvement’ standing for Heathrow.
2. Edinburgh: Edinburgh Airport struggled pinch gathering nan standards for timely assistance, chiefly owed to operational issues related to a alteration of work supplier earlier successful nan year. However, this rumor appears to person been resolved, and nan airdrome is expected to show improvements successful early assessments.
3. Glasgow Prestwick: This airdrome did not meet nan modular for consulting pinch abnormal groups and individuals, which is simply a cardinal facet of nan CAA’s accessibility framework. Glasgow Prestwick has now committed to establishing an Access Forum to reside these concerns moving forward.

It is worthy noting that each airports that were rated ‘Needs Improvement’ successful nan erstwhile twelvemonth person now seen important progress. Bristol, Liverpool, and Norwich person each improved their rankings to ‘Good,’ while Cardiff and London Gatwick person risen to ‘Very Good.’

Impact of nan Airport Accessibility Framework

The CAA’s Airport Accessibility Framework has played a important domiciled successful raising nan barroom for accessibility successful UK airports. By intelligibly outlining standards and holding airports accountable for gathering them, nan model has encouraged important investments successful services and infrastructure designed to support abnormal passengers. Over nan years, this inaugural has resulted successful millions of pounds being invested to heighten accessibility accommodation crossed nan country.

The CAA’s committedness to transparency is reflected successful nan yearly publication of these accessibility reports, which not only thief passengers make informed decisions astir their recreation options but besides guarantee that airports are continually moving to amended nan services they offer.

With an expanding number of passengers requiring help, it is besides evident that UK airports are paying much attraction to nan request to connection improved entree services. The year’s Airport Accessibility Report shows galore airports made bully progress, including Bristol, Liverpool and Norwich, among others. That said location are still immoderate places wherever betterment is needed astir notably astatine London Heathrow, Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick wherever moreover Just successful Time transportation failed.

With further enhancement of nan model still to come, improvements to airdrome services are only group to improve, meaning hundreds of thousands of passengers will proceed to beryllium assured successful their expertise to recreation freely done immoderate of nan UK’s largest airports, irrespective of their reduced mobility.