Teesside Airport Rated ‘Very Good’ Once Again By Regulator As Accessibility Praised

Teesside Airport has won praise after receiving another top rating for access from the UK’s chief aviation regulator.

The airport has seen its accessibility rated “Very Good” by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the second year running in its 2024/25 accessibility performance report.

Last year’s top rating triggered a renewed push to make Teesside the country’s most accessible airport.

Now the airport has built on this to be rated “Very Good” once again – working with the North East Autism Society (NEAS) on an upcoming film about air travel.

Kerrie Highcock, Family Development Manager at NEAS, said: “We’re delighted to see Teesside Airport once again recognised for its commitment to accessibility. The airport’s proactive efforts to understand and address the challenges faced by autistic and neurodivergent passengers demonstrate a genuine dedication to inclusive travel.

“They have shown a willingness to adapt their services to meet the diverse needs of its passengers, creating an environment where people can feel confident and supported throughout their journey.”

Passengers with a disability are legally entitled to support – commonly known as “Special Assistance” – when travelling by air.

Both airports and airlines must provide free help and assistance to ensure a less stressful journey.

The airport has worked with NEAS on producing a video on hidden barriers people face when making their journeys in a bid to highlight some of the issues autistic people face, as well as good practice.

Tom Berwick, Passenger Operations Manager at Teesside Airport, leads the team when it comes to making the airport more accessible.

He said: “We’re very pleased to receive this rating from the CAA once again. All our staff are trained in assistance awareness training, and we work very hard to both meet our legal requirements and go a step further.

“It was a pleasure to host NEAS to hear about some of things we do well, but, alongside listening to our accessibility forum, it’s been good to hear about what more we can do to make journeys to and from Teesside as smooth as possible.”

Teesside hosts an immersive virtual tour – available here – on its website to make visitors more familiar with their surroundings and allow passengers, particularly for those with hidden disabilities, to plan ahead.

And the Airport has been a signatory to the internationally recognised Hidden Disability Sunflower scheme since 2020, to help staff further support those with hidden disabilities.

The regulator awards a Very Good accessibility rating to airports when 99% of all departing notified disabled passengers, and those with reduced mobility, are provided with assistance within 30 minutes of making themselves known at a designated point.

Last year, Teesside’s Accessibility Forum was set up to host meetings twice-a-year with disability groups and airport customers on hidden disabilities, service improvements, promoting independent travel and access to pre-departure information.

More information on access at Teesside Airport is available here – Passenger Assistance – Teesside International Airport