Access to air travel: guidance for disabled and less mobile passengers

Section 5: Getting to the airport

However you intend to get to the airport, make sure the airline knows if you will need assistance getting from the car park, station or taxi set-down point to the check-in desk.

5.1: Routes to the terminal

However you have arrived at the airport, you should be able to identify easily and quickly where you need to go and how to get there.

All pedestrian routes between drop-off points and the terminal should be well signed and fully accessible to disabled people.

Guidance to airport operators is provided in "Inclusive Mobility - A guide to best practice on access to pedestrian and transport infrastructure", which is published by the Department for Transport.

By following this guidance, airport operators will make sure that the signs and all the different routes are clear and obvious. Tactile paving will be used where roads need to be crossed, to help visually impaired passengers, and the crossing points will have either dropped kerbs or raised roadways between pavements, to assist people with impaired mobility. Fully accessible help points should be positioned on terminal forecourts or the pavement.

5.2: By car

A Blue Badge will not entitle you to park on airport forecourts. It is often possible to stop and set down passengers in front of the terminal building but there are security problems if a car is left unattended and vehicles are often towed away.

If you need to be accompanied into the terminal, you will have to park the car first. The position and height of car park entry machines should allow disabled drivers to pull a ticket or to push an easily operated button to get help, without leaving their vehicle.

Accessible parking spaces should be well signed from the car park entrance. In short-stay car parks, they will be found close to the terminal building or alongside pedestrian bridges.

In long-stay or off site car parks, which are usually further away, the spaces should be near to accessible bus stops which are served by accessible buses or vehicles.

There should be highly visible help points in all of these parking areas. Although these help points often use a telephone system, they should all have facilities for deaf and hearing impaired people.

These help points can be used to get help in an emergency and also to get help with baggage or if you need assistance to get to the terminal. Staff will be able to help with lifting baggage or mobility equipment out of a car, but they can not lift a disabled person out of their car.

To use these spaces you will need to display your 'Blue Badge' so that the parking attendants can check that the spaces are not being used by people who do not need them.

You may want to use your Blue Badge abroad and need to take it with you. You will need to find out how to do this before you arrive at the airport and let the airport or car park operator know, so that they can make the arrangements for you to park in the reserved areas.

5.3: By taxi

Taxi ranks should be well signed and should allow disabled passengers to get out on the nearside (pavement side) or rear.

If the taxi rank is not staffed full time, there should be a fully accessible help point so that people can call for assistance.

If the airport has a contract with a taxi firm, they must make sure that some of these taxis are wheelchair accessible.

Airport operators should use 'Inclusive Mobility' as a guide to ensure that there is unobstructed, step free access to and from the terminal building. For example, if you have to cross a road to get to or from the terminal building, there should be either a dropped kerb or a raised carriage way to make sure that the footpath is level and step free. There should also be tactile paving laid in accordance with DfT guidelines to assist visually impaired people.

5.4: By hire car

If you want to arrive or leave the airport in a hire car, you will need to make arrangements in advance. You will need to make sure that they have a suitable accessible vehicle for your requirements. You will also need to check that there are accessible pick-up and drop off points.

The offices of hire car company will be increasingly accessible to disabled people. They should also make sure that there is an accessible shuttle service to and from their office to the airport. If this is not available, they should make arrangements for you to drop off close to the terminal. At some major airports, adapted hire cars may be available.

5.5: By bus or train

Bus and train staff should contact the airport operator or airline, depending on local arrangements, to make sure staff will provide assistance from the drop off point to the check-in desk.

There should also be fully accessible help points at the entrance and exits of bus and train stations, and on train platforms at the airport, so that disabled people can request assistance themselves if necessary.

Published: 1 April 2003

• Air travel

Top of page