Birmingham Airport has retained its 'Good' rating in the UK Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) annual Airport Accessibility Report for 2025/26, missing out on the top 'Very Good' tier achieved by 19 other airports, including East Midlands Airport.
Record demand for assistance services
A record 5.9 million passengers used assistance services and facilities at UK airports in 2025, continuing a long-term trend of demand growing faster than overall passenger numbers. Since 2015, requests for assistance have increased by 115.8 percent, compared with overall passenger growth of 23.9 percent.
Of the 28 airports assessed, 19 were rated 'Very Good' and 9 were rated 'Good'. No airports were rated 'Needs Improvement' or 'Poor', highlighting the progress made since the CAA's Accessibility Performance Framework was introduced a decade ago.
Airports rated 'Very Good' and 'Good'
The following airports achieved 'Very Good': Aberdeen, Belfast City, Belfast International, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Cornwall Newquay, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool, London City, London Luton, London Gatwick, London Southend, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Teesside.
Nine other airports received a 'Good' ranking, including Birmingham, City of Derry, Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick, Inverness, Leeds Bradford, London Heathrow, London Stansted and Norwich. BirminghamLive has contacted Birmingham Airport for comment.
Progress since 2014 framework
The results show the impact of more than a decade of oversight through the regulator's Airport Accessibility Performance Framework, introduced in 2014 to judge airports against a clear set of standards on how they provide assistance to passengers with disabilities or mobility issues.
Thirteen airports were rated either 'Poor' or 'Needs Improvement' when the 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.
Ongoing challenges for disabled passengers
While the report highlights the progress made by airports, it also shows that disabled passengers continue to face challenges when travelling. The CAA'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.
CAA calls for continued investment
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.
“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.”
