Heathrow failed to meet minimum accessibility standards, CAA report finds

Heathrow failed to meet the minimum accessibility standards for disabled passengers in the year to March, the sector’s regulator has said. The airport was the only one in the UK to be rated as “poor” and “needs improvement” by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) over all four quarters in the period, according to the report. Eighteen airports received good or very good ratings and seven airports improved from poor to good. Heathrow was an outlier, however, not having met the criteria for a good rating. Heathrow’s COO, Emma Gilthorpe, said: “Last year we didn’t consistently deliver an appropriate level of service for passengers requiring extra support with their journey through the airport. Between 2019 and 2022, disabled and less mobile passengers represented 2.38% of all passengers at Heathrow, the highest proportion in the UK, according to the regulator. “I want to reassure those passengers that we have put in place a strong plan which is turning that around and we are now meeting service targets,” said Gilthorpe. The report covers 26 of the UK’s largest airports, in an industry that has encountered unprecedented challenges in recruitment, industrial action and equipment shortages since the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, the airport was one of several, including Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Luton, to come under scrutiny from the aviation regulator after many disabled and less mobile passengers missed flights or had to wait for extended periods.<br/>