UK. Birmingham Airport has revealed a series of assisted travel services upgrades in preparation for its busiest year in terms of passengers requiring additional support.
The announcement was made on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The programme includes a fleet renewal of 12 Aviogei Thunderlift 6000 ambulifts, to be deployed over the next eight months.
The £3.8 million (US$5.1 million) investment will enable faster, more comfortable boarding and disembarkation for passengers with reduced mobility. Improved technology is designed to cut waiting times and support all aircraft types.
The airport has also introduced specialist accessibility training for employees, developed with charity Resources for Autism.
The training is aimed at strengthening support for neurodivergent travellers. It outlines strategies for assisting such passengers and their families throughout the airport journey.
Birmingham Airport additionally reiterated its support for travellers with hidden disabilities through its Sunflower Lanyard scheme. This allows passengers to signal discreetly they may require additional assistance.
Travellers must first register at the Assisted Travel desk before security, where teams assess individual needs and provide a lanyard and tag to ensure staff can offer appropriate support.
Birmingham Airport Head of Terminal Operations Chris Wilson said, “Here at Birmingham Airport, we truly believe that travel can and should be accessible to everyone.
“That’s why we are pleased to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities by highlighting our ongoing investment into enhancing our assisted travel experience for passengers with additional needs and disabilities.
“From new ambulifts to specialised neurodiversity awareness colleague training, we are committed to improving our service, ensuring we are as inclusive as possible.
“As we continue to deliver one of our largest capital investment plans to date, we look forward to sharing details of further investment into our assisted travel service.” ✈
AIRPORT INCLUSIVITY WORLDThis story forms part of our Airport Inclusivity World coverage, the latest addition to our diverse, market-leading travel retail and airport non-aeronautical revenues content. Airport Inclusivity World embraces a wide array of key subjects, including airport Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity and Mobility. With the World Health Organization estimating that 1.3 billion people – about one in six worldwide – experience significant disability, we see this subject as a key element in our world-leading passenger experience content.
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