Gatwick becomes first UK airport to receive ACI accessibility accreditation
Further work to help disabled passengers promised in future
Fransebas
Gatwick has become the first UK airport to receive an accreditation that recognises commitment to accessibility services through its strategy, policies and projects.
The airport has received the Airports Council International’s (ACI) Level 1 Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation (AEA) – the only international assessment or accreditation programme dedicated to airport accessibility for passengers with disabilities.
It is designed to help airports to measure, evaluate and improve their accessibility management and culture, and forms part of a wider programme that provides a continuous path of improvement for all airports’ accessibility.
Gatwick’s accessibility manager Anna-Ruth Cockerham said: “We are delighted to be celebrated by ACI for our work in improving accessibility across Gatwick for passengers. The accreditation recognises London Gatwick’s commitment to improving accessibility and enhancing the experiences of disabled passengers.
“We have worked hard to introduce initiatives in recent years to improve our accessibility and are extremely proud to lead the way with several projects.
“We will continue to work with key industry partners and experts to make further advancements, to achieve our vision to be the airport for everyone whatever your journey.”
The airport, part of the Vinci Airports network, was the first in the UK to open a sensory room for passengers in 2018 and was where the now widely recognised Sunflower Lanyard scheme, supporting people with hidden disabilities, started.
It recently launched a series of bespoke access guides to help passengers navigate the airport more easily and safely.
ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec said: “The AEA programme provides a continuous improvement path for airports regarding accessibility for passengers with disabilities.
“As highlighted in our recently published guidance on ’Assisting Passengers with Non-Visible Disabilities’, European airports have a long-standing track record of caring for their most vulnerable passengers and visitors. This is exemplified in Gatwick achieving AEA accreditation, and we hope to see more European airports following their path.”
