London Gatwick first UK airport to earn ACI accessibility accreditation
- London Gatwick has been awarded ACI’s Level 1 Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation.
- The accreditation recognises London Gatwick’s commitment to accessibility services.
- The airport recently launched detailed access guides to support passengers requiring assistance.
London Gatwick has become the first UK airport to receive Airports Council International’s (ACI) Level 1 Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation.
The accreditation recognises London Gatwick’s commitment to accessibility services through its strategy, policies, and initiatives.
The Level 1 Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation is designed to help airports measure, evaluate and improve their accessibility management and culture and it is the only international assessment or accreditation programme dedicated to airport accessibility for passengers with disabilities.
The accreditation forms part of a wider programme that provides a continuous path of improvement for all airports’ accessibility for passengers with disabilities.
Anna-Ruth Cockerham, Accessibility Manager, London Gatwick said: “We are delighted to be celebrated by ACI for our work in improving accessibility across London Gatwick for passengers. The accreditation recognises London Gatwick’s commitment to improving accessibility and enhancing the experiences of disabled passengers.
“We have worked hard to introduce initiatives in recent years to improve our accessibility and are extremely proud to lead the way with several projects. We will continue to work with key industry partners and experts to make further advancements, to achieve our vision to be the airport for everyone whatever your journey.”
London Gatwick, part of the VINCI Airports’ network, has been a trailblazer in accessibility initiatives for several years. The airport was the first in the UK to open a sensory room for passengers in 2018 and was the birthplace of the now widely recognised Sunflower Lanyard scheme, supporting people with hidden disabilities.
London Gatwick has also recently launched a series of free, bespoke detailed access guides, in partnership with AccessAble, helping passengers navigate more easily, safely and confidently through the airport.
Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI EUROPE said: “We're delighted that ACI EUROPE member London Gatwick has received accreditation for the ACI Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation Programme. The AEA programme provides a continuous improvement path for airports regarding accessibility for passengers with disabilities.
“As highlighted in our recently published guidance on 'Assisting Passengers with Non-Visible Disabilities', European airports have a long-standing track record of caring for their most vulnerable passengers and visitors. This is exemplified in Gatwick achieving AEA accreditation, and we hope to see more European airports following their path.”
London Gatwick is investing in its long-term future. The examination phase of the airport’s planning application to bring its existing Northern Runway into routine use has now concluded, with a decision expected to follow in early 2025. London Gatwick’s low-impact plan will improve resilience, reduce delays, and provide a significant boost to the national and regional economy by supporting trade, tourism, and new jobs.
With 41 million annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top ten airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5 billion GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). Almost 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared capacity of 55 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15 million people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2 billion sustainable growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. Vinci Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
The world’s leading private airport operator, VINCI Airports operates more than 70 airports in 14 countries. Thanks to its expertise as a global integrator, VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds and manages airports by providing its investment capacity and its know-how in optimizing operational performance, modernizing infrastructure and managing their operations and environmental transition. VINCI Airports is the first airport operator to have committed to an international environmental strategy in 2016, to achieve the goal of net zero emissions across its entire network by 2050.
For more information:
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is a leading infrastructure investor that specializes in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. With decarbonization central to our investment thesis, we are well positioned to support the global energy transition. Headquartered in New York, GIP has offices in Brisbane, Dallas, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Mumbai, Singapore, Stamford and Sydney.
GIP has approximately $115 billion in assets under management. Our portfolio companies have combined annual revenues of approximately $71 billion and employ over 116,000 people. We believe that our focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with our deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables us to be responsible stewards of our investors' capital and to create positive economic impact for communities. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com.
Linked news
-
London, UK, 30 August 2024
London Gatwick launches detailed guides for passengers to boost airport accessibility
Read more
