NORTHERN IRELAND AIRPORTS RATED HIGHLY IN ACCESSIBILITY REPORT

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THE UK Civil Aviation Authority has published its annual Airport Accessibility Report for 2025/26, highlighting continued improvements in airport accessibility alongside record demand for assistance services.

The report found that 19 airports across the UK achieved a ‘very good’ rating, including Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport. Airports which also received a ‘very good’ rating include Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Cornwall Newquay, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool, London City, London Luton, London Gatwick, London Southend, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Teesside.
Nine airports, including City of Derry Airport, received a ‘good’ ranking in the 2025/26 Airport Accessibility report. Alongside Birmingham,Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick, Inverness, Leeds Bradford, London Heathrow, London Stansted and Norwich.
Thirteen airports were rated either ‘Poor’ or ‘Needs Improvement’ when the CAA’s Airport Accessibility Performance Framework Framework was introduced in 2014. In the last decade, airports have invested millions of pounds in accessibility services, facilities and staff training, driving a rise in standards across the UK.
The latest report shows demand for airport assistance services continues to grow rapidly. Since 2015, requests for assistance have increased by 115.8 percent, compared with overall passenger growth of 23.9 percent.
While the report highlights the progress made by airports, it also shows that disabled passengers continue to face challenges when travelling.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s latest Aviation Consumer Survey found that overall passenger satisfaction with air travel reached 88 percent – the highest level recorded since the survey began in 2016. However, satisfaction among passengers with accessibility or disability needs was lower, at 82 percent.
The survey also found that 58 percent of disabled consumers reported difficulties accessing or using airports and flying, with the most common needs relating to walking, standing or 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.”
Bowles continued “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 even further improve performance against our accessibility framework.”