Airport installs 'wish list' for disabled travellers

London Luton Airport has designed its new assistance lounge based on a 'wish list' from disability support groups

An airport once named the worst in the country for disability access has transformed its rating by adopting a "wish list" for assisted travellers.

London Luton Airport (LLA) now fulfils more than 700 pre-booked requests for assistance each day - and a new assisted travel lounge is due to open later this month.

It has also introduced self-propelled wheelchairs, accessibility days - and appointed a firm to operate its passenger assistance.

Andy Wright, a wheelchair user and chair of the Luton Airport Accessibility Forum, accepted it was a challenge to tailor needs for individuals, but said: "We basically gave them a wish list and most of it is already here."

UK airports have a legal duty to provide free assistance services to passengers, with a record 5.5m people requesting support last year.

Concerns over the standard of care led to the creation of a government taskforce - the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group (AATFG) - chaired by the Paralympian, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.

She said the experience of flying for disabled people could be "ad hoc, inconsistent and sometimes catastrophic".

Andy Wright, chair of LLA's Accessibility Forum, says the new lounge has delivered "almost all of our wish list"

LLA has now been rated "very good" for its disability access – the highest category - by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The authority said it was "impressed by the way LLA had involved disabled individuals to shape their current service and place accessibility at the forefront of its plans."

Inspectors found that Norwich International Airport - rated "needs improvement" in 2024 - now provided a "good" service, along with London Stansted and London Southend.

'Extra confidence'

Over recent years, many disabled passengers have reported being failed by airports across the UK.

In 2017, Justin Levene dragged himself through Luton Airport, after his self-propelled wheelchair was left behind on a flight. He said the airport's offer of an alternative rigid-backed chair was inadequate for his needs and removed his independence.

Since then, LLA has set about transforming its services, including appointing the company Wilson James to manage passenger assistance.

"Not everyone needs the same service," said the operations director at Wilson James, Thomas Emery.

"Some passengers need one-to-one support through the whole airport, such as being pushed in a wheelchair," he said.

"Others, perhaps with visual impairment, want to walk but need extra confidence through areas like security. Much of what we do is helping people on and off the planes."

LLA now offers assisted passengers the use of self-propelled wheelchairs in addition to rigid-backed chairs

Tailoring the service to individuals is essential for the AATFG which says people with disabilities are "not one homogenous group".

Mr Wright added: "Some people need calm, quiet spaces without the loud announcements, but how does that work for someone who's visually impaired? How will they know when their flight is called? These are the conflicts we have to work around."

The accessibility forum, which has members with physical and non-visible disabilities, now works with the airport to improve its services.

A new assisted travel lounge, which the CAA has welcomed for its "positive impact on passengers", includes greater space and seating, waist height chargers for electric wheelchairs and a changing places bathroom.

Clare Armstrong, head of guest experience, says the airport is passionate about getting accessibility right

LLA also holds accessibility days to help travellers familiarise themselves in advance with the airport, check-in and boarding procedures, which Autism Bedfordshire described as "a brilliant idea".

"Airports are busy, noisy places that can be overwhelming for autistic people," said the group's adult skills and development manager, Emily Cullum.

"Many of our members haven't been away for a long time and getting a chance to tour the airport and see there are quiet spaces available makes it less daunting.

"The new lounge will be a great space."

Autism Bedfordshire on an "accessibility day", which helps passengers familiarise themselves with airport procedures to ease anxiety before travelling

Improving support for people with non-visible impairments, such as autism, Alzheimer's, colostomies and hearing loss, is one of five main goals of the AATFG.

LLA offers a lanyard which people can choose to wear, without needing to disclose their disability, so that staff understand they may need additional support in some areas.

Clare Armstrong, LLA head of guest experience, said staff had worked hard to transform the service, and that assistance was now "a priority for the sector."

"The past few years have been a challenge especially with increasing passenger numbers," she said.

"Our accessibility forum created in 2019 really helped us to understand our passengers' needs.

"We pulled together a list of initiatives that we could roll out and the 'very good' rating is a testament to the dedication of our staff."

LLA says accessibility will remain an important part of their expansion plans which could see the airport handle up to 32m passengers a year

In 2022, the CAA found delayed flights had led to disabled passengers waiting far too long to disembark - and rated the airport "poor".

Andy Wright accepts that different organisations working together in airports can make processes more difficult, particularly when flights are delayed.

"It's a very complex set of moving parts," he said.

Mr Emery also says he is confident Wilson James has "robust" plans in place to ensure those instances are dealt with.

"The most important thing is consistency," he said. "There's no point offering a great service one day and then a day with lots of challenges when you don't deliver."

The airport is planning to expand to handle 32 million passengers a year.

Ms Armstrong says LLA cannot be complacent, adding: "Every bit of feedback is a learning opportunity for us.

"It's an ever-evolving landscape and one that we feel passionate about getting right."