Civil Aviation Authority report praises Manchester Airport accessibility

The Civil Aviation Authority’s latest accessibility report has awarded Manchester Airport the highest possible rating for the services it offers to passengers with restricted mobility and other disabilities.

ABM, which operates the airport’s special assistance services, has been recognised for improvements made to its services over the past 12 months, with the report citing strong performance on waiting times. The airport was awarded a ‘good’ rating in 2025.

The report also highlights the airport’s engagement with its Accessibility Forum – an independently-chaired advisory group comprised of disabled travellers and advocates – along with the quality of the facilities available in Terminal 2, which is coming to the end of its decade-long transformation programme.

ABM has a strong record of helping people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) into its service teams at the airport, working closely with Trafford and Stockport College group through its Airport Academy, and also through Pure Innovations’ supported internships programme, to extend job opportunities to people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the airport’s neighbouring communities.

The ‘very good’ rating is also a reflection of significant investment made by Manchester Airport in its facilities, with £1.5 billion having been spent on the transformation of Terminal 2 over the past decade, and millions now being spent on upgrading Terminal 3 to update its facilities, improve passenger flow and make navigating the terminal a smoother experience.

Ed Kibblewhite, Head of Terminal Services at Manchester Airport, said:

“At Manchester Airport we’re proud to serve the people of the North, helping more than 32 million passengers on their travel in the past 12 months – including 700,000 with restricted mobility or other assistance needs.

“We’re delighted with the ‘very good’ rating in the CAA’s latest accessibility report, as it vindicates the investment we’ve made in these services alongside our delivery partner ABM, and shows that these improvements are bearing fruit, with highly positive feedback from passengers. We are not content to stop here and will continue to improve and streamline the assistance services offered, including in Terminal 3, which is in the middle of its biggest upgrade since it opened in the 1980s.”

Kelly Parish, Vice President – Transport and Aviation at ABM, said:

“Achieving a ‘very good’ rating is the result of consistent investment in our people and the collaborative relationship we have had with Manchester Airport over many years. As the UK and Ireland’s largest provider of accessible travel services, we’re particularly proud that this includes creating real opportunities for people from the airport’s neighbouring communities, through our Airport Academy and our work with Pure Innovations. As Terminal 3 changes shape, we’ll be right there ensuring assistance services keep pace.”