Outdated language and inconsistent training for aviation staff are negatively affecting the experience of flying for disabled people, a new review of air travel accessibility in the UK has revealed.
The Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group (AATFG) group, established in November 2024 by the Department for Transport (DfT), aims to improve accessibility for disabled people on board aircraft and in airport terminals.
Former Paralympian and accessibility campaigner Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson led the AATFG in curating 19 key accessibility recommendations for airlines, airports and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The Welsh crossbench peer told The Independent that she is familiar with “really bad” travel experiences – something that can be “catastrophic” for a disabled person if things go wrong.
According to the 16 July report, improved training for airline and airport staff, clearer passenger information and robust complaint procedures are needed to make flying more inclusive.
One “poor experience” can stop someone from flying altogether, found the AATFG.
The review featured issues including missed flights, the use of non-inclusive language, broken or lost mobility equipment and an extended wait time to disembark.
The taskforce said that clearer passenger information is key for travellers to book assistance, access airport support services and transport mobility aids independently.
“Some of it is disabled people knowing their rights,” said Lady Grey-Thompson.
She also called for aviation workers to do more to help passengers with complaints when things do go wrong.
As chair of the AATFG, Lady Grey-Thompson said the “biggest part “of creating the report was industry representatives “coming together, sitting in the same room and talking about it”.
“It’s actually just trying to join up the system”, she added.
The report highlighted an obvious inconsistency in accessibility training across different airports and airlines.
A lack of inclusive language was revealed, with “outdated” terminology often used in the aviation sector.
It added that disability awareness training – developed alongside people with lived experience – should be rolled out for all aviation staff, including ground services and those in hospitality roles.
Lady Grey-Thompson said: “Everyone in the airport needs to have an understanding of both visible and invisible impairments.”
Although in other sectors the “excuse” of more training would earn an “eye roll” from the Paralympic medallist, in aviation, the standardisation of training could be used to create a positive experience for disabled travellers.
She said: “For everyone to have the same type of training sounds so basic, but it would make a lot of sense.
“It’s about treating everyone with respect from security to the gate.”
The group chair added that experiencing discrimination while travelling, even in an airport café, can “affect the whole journey” for disabled flyers.
She previously told BBC Breakfast of her “humiliation” at being blamed for the late departure of a flight after the captain announced the delay was “because of the wheelchair.”
According to CAA data, 5.5 million passengers requested assistance at a UK airport in 2024 – 1.9 per cent of total travellers.
Lady Grey-Thompson says that key sectors of the aviation industry have “recognised that they need to do better” following repeated media scrutiny of airlines for leaving passengers on a plane or damaging mobility equipment.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, who uses a wheelchair, has repeatedly criticised accessibility services at London Heathrow. Just last month, Mr Gardner was kept waiting for 90 minutes after other passengers had disembarked following a British Airways flight from Singapore.
Improving airport accessibility frameworks – used to assess how airports perform against their legal obligations – was also recommended to the CAA.
As of the latest airport accessibility report, most airports were ranked in the “good” or “very good” categories.
The group recognised it would be “quite expensive” to fully rebuild older airports but added that the aviation industry should “learn from its mistakes quickly and rectify them.”
Airport accessibility guides, and “enhanced access to assistance throughout the airport journey”, are among the 19 recommendations.
Lady Grey-Thompson said: “This report is the next critical step in making air travel more inclusive for disabled people.
“I’m grateful for the commitment the industry has shown to making change and breaking down barriers in aviation for everyone, bringing freedom to travel, whether for leisure or work, and to connect with friends and family.”
Currently, there are no legislative plans or budget from the government to enforce the changes. However, future airport eGate plans include wider accessible gates.
The group will now start to deliver the recommendations for disabled passengers, with progress reports to the DfT to ensure proposals are adopted by the industry.
In response to the report’s release, transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Everyone should be able to travel with dignity and be respected at every stage of their journeys, including disabled passengers. That’s why we established this group in November last year, and I welcome this report’s findings, which will clear the runway for greater accessibility in aviation.
“I know the industry is working hard to make services more inclusive for all, and I look forward to seeing these proposals becoming a reality with the support of the group. Now is the time for action and to make a real difference so that people can travel with confidence.”
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