Leeds Bradford Airport rated in CAA accessibility report

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)’s latest report suggested “too many” disabled and less mobile passengers arriving at Leeds Bradford had been “unduly delayed”.

Leeds Bradford joined Bristol and Luton as some of the UK’s poorest performing airports for accessibility.

The airport acknowledged it had “fallen short” and said it is already making a series of significant investments, including a refurbishment to Hall A and spending £500,000 on new wheelchairs.

Prior to 2022’s report, LBA has been rated ‘good’ for five years.

Based on findings between April and October 2022, the CAA’s report said: “Leeds Bradford has not met the standard for a good rating and too many disabled and less mobile arriving passengers have been unduly delayed.

“However, we noted that delays were generally not as long as at some other airports and there were no very long delays.

"In addition, as with some other airports, Leeds Bradford has seen a large increase the proportion of the number of disabled and less mobile passengers it assisted compared to 2019 which has added pressure to their assistance service.”

Paul Smith, director of consumers at the CAA, said: “The aviation industry has faced unprecedented challenges, but too many passengers at UK airports have been waiting for unacceptable amounts of time for assistance on arriving flights on too many occasions.

“We strongly believe that everyone should have access to air travel, and we welcome the substantial improvements that airports have made for disabled and less mobile passengers.

“We will continue to consider whether we need to take further action where airports are not delivering an acceptable level of performance, and not showing sufficient and sustained improvements.

“We want to see immediate further improvements, as well as airports being well prepared to provide a high-quality service during next year.”

In response, a spokesperson for LBA, said: “We accept the report from the CAA and apologise for falling short during this challenging period. We feel confident that our programme of live investments will improve services for passengers with restricted mobility.

“Our reconfiguration of Hall A, investment in infrastructure and extensive training of new staff will see immediate positive changes at LBA in the coming weeks and months.

“Prior to this report, LBA has been rated “good” by the CAA for five years and we are committed to regaining this status as quickly as possible by implementing tangible solutions around the terminal.”

The aviation report found many disabled and less mobile passengers had missed flights due to failings at London Heathrow this summer.

The CAA did not specify how many passengers missed flights at Heathrow but described the total as “unacceptable”.

Its report highlighted the “particularly poor performance” at Terminal 5, where “many passengers” did not make connecting departures.

Some disabled and less mobile passengers at the west London airport’s Terminal 3 were also forced to wait for more than an hour to be transferred from one piece of equipment to another.

That contravened CAA guidance.

Aberdeen, Belfast International, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London City Airports were rated as “very good” for their accessibility performance during the whole period analysed.

Leeds Bradford was among the worst-hit airports for passenger queues earlier in 2022.

Passengers at the airport waited an average of 35 minutes between February and August in 2022, according to Which?.

Researchers asked nearly 1,300 people how long they queued for security checks during the period.

More than a quarter - 27 per cent - of Leeds Bradford travellers said they waited for more than an hour to pass through security.

Staffing shortages and the rapid resumption of international travel following the lifting of pandemic restrictions were cited as reasons for the delays.  

One traveller shared photos of holidaygoers lined up outside the entrance with their suitcases in tow in June 2022.

At the time of the research, Guy Hobbs, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “Travellers this year have borne the brunt of unprecedented chaos at UK airports, with huge numbers enduring long queues and some even missing a flight due to excessive wait times to clear security.

“Your choice of airport shouldn’t make or break your holiday – but for too many travellers this year, that has been the case.

“We’d recommend choosing an airport with a better record on queues and treatment of passengers, even if that involves travelling slightly further from home.”

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