London Stansted has been rated 'very good' by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for its services to disabled passengers.

The award recognises the airport's commitment to accessibility, with the CAA grading 26 of the UK's largest airports.

In 2023, London Stansted was upgraded to 'very good' after significant improvements in assistance services.

Further improvements have been made over the past year, resulting in the airport once again receiving top marks.

Upgrades have included enhancements to the Changing Places accessible toilets in the departure lounge, the launch of sensory kits for passengers with non-visible disabilities, the establishment of dementia meeting places, and improved signage to aid unaided navigation throughout the terminal.

Sensory kits contain a variety of sensory items, including weighted toys, activity books, lanyards, and noise-cancelling headphones, all of which help users with autism and other sensory conditions to relax and overcome stressful or intense situations. 

London Stansted’s customer operations director, Anita Harrison, said: "We're delighted to receive the highest possible rating from the CAA once again, which reflects the hard work of our colleagues and our service provider, ABM, who make every effort to provide a welcoming and inclusive experience for every passenger travelling through London Stansted Airport."

Anita also highlighted the key improvements which have contributed to their continued achievement.

She said: "In the last 12 months, we have worked closely with our airlines and ABM to improve our service even further.

"We’re committed to providing the best possible experience to all passengers with reduced mobility and non-visible disabilities, but we strive to improve even further in the future, we acknowledge that achieving that standard is an ongoing process."

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Anna Bowles, head of consumer policy and enforcement at the CAA, said: "Making aviation accessible to all is an important part of our work to protect the public and enable the aerospace sector.

"Progress is being made, and not rating any airports ‘poor’ this year is welcome, but there’s more work to do, especially by those airports we have rated ‘needs improvement’ in our report.

"We will continue to work with the sector to ensure that standards are maintained and improved."