Jersey airport criticised by disability charity

More than one million people fly through Jersey airport every year.

Jersey's airport and harbours are not up to modern standards, according to a local disability charity.

Jim Hopley, chair of the Jersey Disability Partnership, said he hoped peoples' needs would be better met in future, as Ports of Jersey started work to improve the terminals.

Jersey government's "Jersey Visitor Economy Strategy", which was published in December, found that arriving on the island wasn't always a positive experience, with customer service and public transport often failing to reach expectations.

Ports of Jersey said it would increase the number of staff on the arrivals floor helping passengers.

'Personal service'

Mr Hopley said: "It’s not just about people in wheelchairs. People with sight and hearing impairment, people with mental illness, it all comes into play."

Ports of Jersey, which runs the harbours and airport, said it was working with Visit Jersey to "bring more Jerseyness" into the "arrivals experience".

Stephen King, the company's chief operating officer, said the needs of disabled people were "very important".

Mr King said the one change it had made was to employ support staff directly, rather than through agencies, including the team who helped people on and off planes.

He said Ports was working hard to "provide a personal service" to passengers and had received feedback that some people were "more confident to travel" as a result.

Mr King said passengers would start seeing changes at the airport "within the next few weeks".

He said the company had long-term plans to develop the airport in St Peter and the Elizabeth Terminal at the harbour in St Helier, but in the short term Mr Hopley said: "It’s not just about people in wheelchairs. People with sight and hearing impairment, people with mental illness, it all comes into play."

Mr Hopley welcomed the creation of a form for people discuss specific issues and said he expected his charity would be on it.

Stephen Chapman, 66, and his disabled wife flew to Jersey from Belfast, recently.

'You don't land and go, 'wow!'

Stephen Chapman, 66, and his disabled wife flew to Jersey from Belfast, recently.

He said the airport was "compact" and had "great facilities for coming off the aircraft".

Mr Chapman said there were plenty of assistants on hand and the ramps helped his wife, who uses a stick to walk.

Scott Moultrie, 51, flew to Jersey for a job interview said the welcome was "amazing - everyone was so friendly".

But he said the experience was "not absolutely perfect"

Mr Moultrie said: "You don’t land and go, 'wow'! But it’s the people that make it special."