Edinburgh and Glasgow Prestwick airports given 'needs improvement' rating over disabled passenger assistance

Two of Scotland’s main airports failed to meet the grade for assisting passengers with reduced mobility and have been rated as “needing improvement” by the aviation regulator.

Edinburgh - by far the country’s busiest terminal - “did not meet the standards for the provision of assistance in a timely manner” in the year to March, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reported on Wednesday.

Edinburgh Airport said it was now offering a “good” or “very good” service | Lisa Ferguson/The Scotsman

The regulator said this was “primarily due to operational issues caused by a change of contractor for its service provider earlier in the year, which now appears to be resolved”.

The airport had been rated as “good” last year.

The CAA said Prestwick, whose only passenger flights are operated by Ryanair, “failed to meet the standards to consult with disabled groups and individuals, although it has now committed to putting in place an access forum”. The airport slipped from a “very good” rating last year.

By contrast, Aberdeen was given a “very good” service rating, improving from “good” last year, while Glasgow and Inverness were rated as “good”. Glasgow slipped from a “very good” rating last year.

A conceptual design of the Glasgow Airport upgrade. Image: AGS Airports | AGS Airports

The CAA said providing a good service for passengers with reduced mobility was increasingly important as the number of those requiring it reached record levels and demand was outstripping overall air travel growth.

Such travellers accounted for nearly one in 50 fliers last year at UK airports - 5.5 million, or some 1.9 per cent - compared to 1.69 per cent the previous year (4.6m), 1.35 per cent in 2019 and 0.94 per cent in 2010.

The CAA reported “signs of improvement” across the board, with 11 airports rated “very good” and 14 “good” and none rated “poor” for the second year running.

However, Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, was also told it “needs improvement” in the CAA’s annual Airport Accessibility Report.

The regulator said Heathrow “had generally good service levels at Terminals, 2, 4 and 5, but failed to assure us the data it provided on waiting time standards at Terminal 3 was an accurate reflection of the provision of service, meaning it is not clear that waiting time standards were met at Terminal 3”.

All those airports rated as “needs improvement” last year improved to “good” - Bristol, Liverpool and Norwich - or “very good” - Cardiff and Gatwick.

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Selina Chadha, the CAA’s group director for consumers and markets, said: “It is welcome that most airports scored positively, but there is clearly more to do from those found to be needing improvement.

“With demand for these services rising dramatically in recent years, all airports have a huge challenge ahead to ensure they continue to offer the assistance services their passengers deserve.”

AGS Airports, which runs Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton, said demand for the service had increased by 20 per cent compared to forecast overall passenger growth of some 3 per cent at Glasgow.

Airports were rated on their performance against waiting time targets for arriving and departing passengers, a satisfaction survey of users of the service, and consultation with disabled people and organisations through access forums.

Edinburgh Airport’s response

Edinburgh Airport said the report acknowledged the challenges it had faced following a change in contractor and stated the airport was now routinely meeting a “very good” standard.

Its spokesman said: "As the CAA’s report states, this rating was given to the airport during a particularly challenging time for our persons of reduced mobility operation, due to a change of provider, staff shortages, and a surge in demand for the service.

"We have increased our investment in the service to more than £6 million and have worked closely with our provider to implement new and improved processes and oversight.

“These efforts have led to significant improvements, and our goal remains to return to and maintain a good or very good rating."

Edinburgh Access Panel chair Robin Wickes said: “The panel hasn't been consulted by Edinburgh Airport's special assistance provider for some time. However, we have a meeting with the chair of Edinburgh Airport Accessibility Forum next month where we hope to discuss any support issues and how we can help address them.”

Anya Kettles, convener of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland, which advises the Scottish Government, said: “While it is encouraging that no airports are rated as poor, we are disappointed that two of Scotland’s major airports have ranked so low.

Clearly there is still a lot of work to be done so that all passengers requiring assistance get the level of service they need and deserve.

“An inaccessible transport service, be it plane, ferry or train, is no service at all for many disabled people.”

The Prestwick Airport response

A Prestwick Airport spokesperson said: “We remain fully committed to providing a high standard of service to all passengers requiring assistance.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Image: Robert Perry/Getty Images.

“While we are naturally disappointed to have fallen in the ratings after maintaining top tier status for six consecutive reports, we want to reassure passengers that this rating does not reflect operational issues, or the quality of assistance delivered on the ground.

“The downgrade related to engagement with specific accessibility and disability groups, which we recognise is an important part of continuous improvement.

“We are actively working to address this and have already taken steps to strengthen these vital partnerships.

“Our focus remains on delivering a safe, respectful and dignified experience for all passengers, and we are confident that the actions underway will help restore our previous standing in future reports.”

Glasgow Airport said its reduced rating was a data issue unrelated to the performance of the service, with the CAA referring to “process issues with how management measured performance against waiting time metrics”.

AGS chief operating officer Ronald Leitch said: “These results are a testament to the dedication of our staff, who continue to deliver exceptional service amid a significant rise in demand.”