Stansted Airport has received the highest possible rating from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for its service to passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.
The industry regulator updated the airport from 'good' to 'very good' for significant improvements to the quality of its assistance service.
Over the last year, the airport installed technology to provide better connectivity at passenger help points, and joined the service AccessAble to offer airport navigation assistance.
They also introduced innovations to help people find their way through the terminal, increased their fleet of specialist Ambulift vehicles, opened a special assistance waiting area, worked with service provider ABM to recruit and train more team members, and teamed up with SignLive to offer passengers the opportunity to communicate via British Sign Language (BSL).
In addition to these improvements, Stansted has introduced Changing Places toilet facilities both airside and landside, Airport Awareness lanyards to indicate that a passenger may need assistance because of a hidden disability and the Autism Awareness Special Flyer scheme.
Customer operations director Anita Harrison said: "We are delighted to receive the highest possible rating from the CAA - a rating that reflects the work that we’ve done to provide an inclusive experience for all our passengers through investment in infrastructure, equipment, and staff.
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"Every passenger, regardless of any disabilities or assistance requirements, should be able to travel confidently, easily and conveniently through the airport and enjoy both our facilities as well as the wide variety of destinations we have to offer.
"In the last 12 months, we have worked closely with our airline partners and the service provider to bring several improvements to our service.
"Through continuous engagement and collaboration with members of our Disability Forum we have achieved a clear focus on the issues that really matter to passengers that require additional assistance and support.
"The airport is committed to ensuring that all passengers with reduced mobility and hidden disabilities receive the best possible experience every time they travel through our airport.
"We also acknowledge that achieving that standard is an ongoing process as we strive to improve even further in the future."
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