Manchester Airport has been awarded the highest possible rating for its special assistance services in the Civil Aviation Authority’s latest accessibility report.
The airport received a “very good” rating for the services it offers to passengers with restricted mobility and hidden disabilities, an improvement on its “good” rating for 2025.
ABM, which operates the airport’s special assistance services, was recognized for improvements made over the past 12 months, with the report citing strong performance on waiting times. The report also highlighted the airport’s engagement with its Accessibility Forum, an independently chaired advisory group made up of disabled travelers and advocates, along with the quality of facilities in Terminal 2, which is nearing the end of a decade-long transformation program.
ABM has also worked to bring people who are not in employment, education, or training into its service teams at the airport, partnering with Trafford and Stockport College Group through its Airport Academy, and with Pure Innovations’ supported internships program, to extend job opportunities to people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the airport’s neighboring communities.
The rating reflects significant investment by Manchester Airport in its facilities, with £1.5 billion (US$2 billion) spent on the transformation of Terminal 2 over the past decade, and further investment now underway to upgrade Terminal 3.
“At Manchester Airport we’re proud to serve the people of the North, helping more than 32 million passengers on their travel in the past 12 months — including 700,000 with restricted mobility or other assistance needs,” said Ed Kibblewhite, head of terminal services at Manchester Airport. “We’re delighted with the ‘very good’ rating in the CAA’s latest accessibility report, as it vindicates the investment we’ve made in these services alongside our delivery partner ABM, and shows that these improvements are bearing fruit, with highly positive feedback from passengers. We are not content to stop here and will continue to improve and streamline the assistance services offered, including in Terminal 3, which is in the middle of its biggest upgrade since it opened in the 1980s.”
“Achieving a ‘very good’ rating is the result of consistent investment in our people and the collaborative relationship we have had with Manchester Airport over many years,” said Kelly Parish, vice president of transport and aviation at ABM. “As the UK and Ireland’s largest provider of accessible travel services, we’re particularly proud that this includes creating real opportunities for people from the airport’s neighboring communities, through our Airport Academy and our work with Pure Innovations. As Terminal 3 changes shape, we’ll be right there ensuring assistance services keep pace.”
In related news, Munich Airport becomes first in Germany to earn ACI accessibility accreditation
