Cornwall Airport Newquay rated 'Very Good' for accessibility by CAA
Courtesy Cornwall Airport Newquay
This commendation reflects Cornwall Airport Newquay's ongoing commitment to providing an inclusive and seamless travel experience for all passengers, including those with reduced mobility and disabilities.
The CAA's report highlights significant advancements in accessibility across UK airports, with Cornwall Airport Newquay being one of the 11 airports to receive the 'Very Good' rating. This recognition is a testament to our dedicated efforts to enhance accessibility services and facilities, ensuring that every passenger enjoys a comfortable and dignified journey.
Kelly Jones, Ground Operations Manager at Cornwall Airport Newquay, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this 'Very Good' rating from the CAA. It underscores the hard work and dedication of our team to make air travel accessible to everyone. At Cornwall Airport Newquay, we continuously strive to improve our services and facilities to meet the diverse needs of our passengers. This recognition motivates us to keep pushing for even higher standards in accessibility.”
The CAA's annual report, which assesses airports with an annual passenger volume of over 150,000, noted that no UK airport was rated 'poor' for the first time since 2020, marking a significant milestone in the aviation sector's journey towards greater inclusivity. However, the CAA also emphasised the need for continuous improvement to ensure that all passengers, regardless of their mobility, have a positive travel experience.
Commenting on the latest report from the CAA on airport accessibility, Karen Dee, Chief Executive of AirportsUK, the trade body for UK airports, said: “Airports work very hard to ensure that those passengers who require extra assistance can enjoy the benefits of air travel and while there is always more to be done, we are heading in the right direction. More investment is being made in staff, training, technologies and accessible infrastructure, and airports are in continuous discussion with passenger groups to incorporate feedback, meaning we are confident that we will continue to see improvements.”
Anna Bowles, Head of Consumer Policy and Enforcement at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, 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 ‘needs improvement’ in our report. We will continue to work with the sector to ensure that standards are maintained and improved.”
This year’s ratings show that the following achieved a ‘very good’ rating:
Cornwall Airport Newquay, Belfast City, City of Derry, East Midlands, Glasgow Prestwick, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted, Glasgow, Southampton, Newcastle and Teeside.
The majority of airports received a ‘good’ ranking:
Aberdeen, Belfast International, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Exeter, Inverness, London City, London Luton, Manchester, London Heathrow and Sumburgh.
A number of airports remain in the ‘needs improvement’ category:
Bristol, London Gatwick, Cardiff Wales, Liverpool and Norwich.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority launched the Airport Accessibility Framework in 2014, clearly setting out a key set of standards for airports. The framework details how the regulator expects all passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility to be treated and commits to posting accessibility results annually in order to hold the aviation industry to account. In its first decade the initiative has facilitated significant improvement in airport accessibility, including millions of pounds of investment in improved service and facilities. This year, the report was written against a backdrop of significant increase in demand as passengers indicated a drop in satisfaction with airport performance.
Cornwall Airport Newquay remains committed to working alongside the CAA and other industry stakeholders to drive further improvements in accessibility. Our focus will continue to be on investing in state-of-the-art facilities, comprehensive staff training, and innovative solutions that cater to the needs of all passengers.
For more information on Cornwall Airport Newquay's accessibility services visit: www.cornwallairportnewquay.com/the-airport/accessibility-for-all-passengers
