South West airports well rated for accessibility

The 2023-4 annual report by the Civil Aviation Authority on accessibility of airports was published on Wednesday

Cornwall and Devon's airports have been assessed by the UK aviation regulator for the accessibility for travellers with mobility issues and disability.

Cornwall Newquay and Exeter airports were rated as "very good" and "good" respectively for their accessibility.

The annual report from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which regulates aerospace, ranked 28 airports with more than 150,000 annual passengers on the accessibility of their services.

The regulator said no UK airport received a "poor" rating for their accessibility performance over the last year for the first time since 2020.

'Making aviation accessible'

Against a backdrop of increased demand for assistance services, 11 airports were rated "very good" for accessibility, 12 airports were rated "good", and only five airports were rated as "needs improvement".

Anna Bowles, head of consumer policy and enforcement at the CAA, said: “Making aviation accessible to all is an important part of our work to protect the public and enable the aerospace sector.

"Progress is being made, and not rating any airports ‘poor’ this year is welcome, but there’s more work to do, especially by those airports we have rated as needing improvement in our report."

Bristol, London Gatwick, Cardiff Wales, Liverpool and Norwich airports were each rated as "needs improvement".

On Wednesday, the CAA also published guidance on accessibility for airlines developed after consultation with passengers, the aviation industry and disability charities, consultants, and consumer groups.