In brief
- 28 UK airports assessed: 19 very good and nine good.
- The report covers April 2025 to March 2026.
What the regulator found
The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s 2025/26 report rates 19 airports very good and nine good. None of the 28 assessed airports received the two lower ratings. The report covers performance from April 2025 to March 2026.
Demand is rising
The CAA reports that 5.9 million passengers used airport assistance in 2025. Its consumer survey also found that 58% of disabled consumers experienced difficulties accessing or using airports and flying. Improved ratings do not remove every barrier.
Before you book
Check your departure, connection and arrival arrangements individually. Tell your airline about your wheelchair dimensions, battery and transfer needs, and request written confirmation of the assistance booked. The report is a useful planning resource, not a guarantee for an individual journey.
Turn a national rating into a personal plan
Start with the parts of an airport journey that are hardest for you. Long distances, standing in queues, transfers and the handling of your own wheelchair are separate concerns. An overall airport rating cannot tell you exactly how a particular combination of needs will be handled on your travel date.
Make a short journey note containing your flight numbers, connection time, chair dimensions and assistance requirements. Ask who will meet you and where. A clear handover plan is more useful than a general assurance that the airport is accessible.
Our perspective: ask about the whole journey
When choosing between itineraries, consider how many separate handovers they involve. A route with fewer connections may be worth discussing even if its advertised flying time is longer. Make the trade-off using your own tolerance for waiting, transferring and uncertainty.
After travelling, record what worked and where the arrangements broke down. Specific details such as the location, time and missed handover make feedback more actionable than a general rating alone. Keep your booking confirmations alongside those notes if you need to explain a problem.
