Manchester Airport Hits Top Accessibility Rating as Every UK Airport Now Rated "Good" or Better

Manchester Airport has been awarded the highest possible accessibility rating by the UK’s aviation regulator, moving up from “good” to “very good” in the Civil Aviation Authority’s latest annual review of how well airports support disabled and less mobile passengers.

The rating covers the assisted travel services provided by ABM, the North’s hub airport’s special assistance partner, and comes after what the airport described as sustained improvements over the past 12 months, with the CAA specifically praising strong performance on waiting times. Manchester’s Accessibility Forum — an independently-chaired advisory group made up of disabled travellers and advocates — was also highlighted as a factor behind the improved score, alongside the ongoing upgrade of Terminal 2, which is nearing the end of a decade-long, £1.5 billion transformation.

Manchester’s climb to “very good” forms part of a wider national trend. The CAA’s 2025/26 Airport Accessibility Report, which assesses the UK’s 28 busiest airports on performance between April 2025 and March 2026, found that every single one of them achieved either a “Good” or “Very Good” rating for the first time since the framework was introduced in 2014. Nineteen airports, including Manchester, Gatwick and Luton, reached “Very Good,” while the remaining nine — among them Heathrow, Birmingham and Glasgow — were rated “Good.”

The improvements come against a backdrop of surging demand. A record 5.9 million passengers used assistance services at UK airports during 2025, with requests up nearly 116% since 2015 — far outstripping the 24% growth in overall passenger numbers over the same period.

Ed Kibblewhite, Head of Terminal Services at Manchester Airport, said the airport had helped more than 32 million passengers over the past year, including 700,000 who needed restricted mobility or other assistance, and that the “very good” rating “vindicates the investment we’ve made in these services.” He added that work would continue, including in Terminal 3, which is now in the middle of its biggest upgrade since opening in the 1980s.

For drivers working Manchester Airport pickups and drop-offs, growing numbers of assisted travel passengers can mean longer dwell times at terminal kerbsides, so it’s worth building a little extra patience into those jobs during busy periods.

Travelling to or from the airport? Manpool Transfers offers reliable, comfortable airport transfers across Liverpool and the surrounding areas, available 24/7.

Thanks for visiting DM News! If you’ve got a question, a story tip, or anything you’d like to share, head over to DriverMatty.com — I love to hear from you. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out my other websites and social media channels.

Sources: