UK airports improve accessibility as demand for assistance services reaches record levels
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has published its annual Airport Accessibility Report for 2025/26, highlighting continued improvements in accessibility standards alongside record demand for passenger assistance services.
Nineteen airports achieved a ‘very good’ rating: Aberdeen, Belfast City, Belfast International, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Cornwall Newquay, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool, London City, London Luton, London Gatwick, London Southend, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Teesside.
A further nine airports received a ‘good’ rating: Birmingham, City of Derry, Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick, Inverness, Leeds Bradford, London Heathrow, London Stansted and Norwich.
The results reflect more than a decade of oversight through the regulator’s Airport Accessibility Performance Framework, which was introduced in 2014 to assess how airports provide assistance to passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.
When the framework was launched, 13 airports were rated either ‘poor’ or ‘needs improvement’. Over the past decade, airports have invested millions of pounds in accessibility services, facilities and staff training, contributing to a rise in standards across the UK.
The latest report shows that demand for airport assistance services continues to grow rapidly. Since 2015, requests for assistance have increased by 115.8 per cent, compared with overall passenger growth of 23.9 per cent.
While the report highlights progress, it also shows that disabled passengers continue to experience challenges when travelling.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s latest Aviation Consumer Survey found that overall passenger satisfaction with air travel reached 88 per cent, the highest level recorded since the survey began in 2016. However, satisfaction among passengers with accessibility or disability needs was lower, at 82 per cent.
The survey also found that 58 per cent of disabled consumers reported difficulties accessing or using airports and flying. The most common needs related to walking, standing and carrying luggage.
Anna Bowles, Head of Consumer Protection at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “The progress made in improving airport accessibility over the last decade is encouraging. Through our annual assessments, we have challenged airports to raise standards, increase transparency and focus on the needs of disabled passengers.
“The fact that no airport was rated ‘needs improvement’ or ‘poor’ this year is welcome, but we cannot be complacent. Some disabled passengers still face difficulties when travelling, and with demand for assistance services continuing to rise, airports must continue to invest in assistance services.
“We will consult on a revised version of the Framework later this year as we continue to challenge airports to improve further.
“The Civil Aviation Bill currently before Parliament would, if approved, give us additional enforcement powers to better hold airports to account for meeting the legal rights of passengers, including in relation to accessibility. This would, in time, help to further improve performance against our accessibility framework.”
The report assesses the 28 UK airports that handled more than 150,000 passengers during the 2025 calendar year. It covers airport performance between April 2025 and March 2026.
During this period, the UK Civil Aviation Authority visited 16 of the largest UK airports and observed the service provided to passengers requiring assistance across approximately 1,400 flights.
It also conducted in-depth accessibility assessments at Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow Prestwick and Liverpool airports.
The standardised framework enables the regulator to assess how effectively airports are meeting the needs of passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility.
Airports are assessed on their performance against waiting-time targets for arriving and departing passengers, including the accuracy and robustness of their data collection; satisfaction levels among users of assistance services; and consultation with disabled people and organisations through accessibility forums.
Powered mobility provider WHILL recently launched its Autonomous Mobility Service at Heathrow Airport.
