Three British airports have been named the most accessible in the world

Airports are stressful at the best of times, but they can be even more daunting if you have specific accessibility requirements. Whether you’re in a wheelchair, have small children in a buggy, or just require some kind of mobility aid, some airports are harder to navigate than others. So it’s good news that a recent study by mobility equipment company Halton Stairlifts of the most accessible airports in the world features three right here in the UK.

But how do you measure accessibility? Halton Stairlifts’ method involved analysing over 50,000 reviews, across Google and TripAdvisor, in terms of what customers had to say about a range of criteria including mobility services, staff support, how clear the signage was, and the accessibility of facilities like toilets and shuttle bus stations. From there, the report gave each terminus a score out of 100.

The best airport in the world for accessibility was Singapore with a score of 96, with Halton Stairlifts praising the southeast Asian hub for its excellent support services. 

The highest-placing UK airport was Manchester, which came fourth overall and received a score of 91. Although Manchester was recently named among the worst hubs in the country for delays, it seems to be succeeding in providing for those with extra accessibility needs due to recent investment into assistance technology.

Also appearing in the top 10 was Edinburgh in seventh. Scotland’s largest airport got 87 out of 100 thanks to its short distances between gates and helpful staff members. Finally, Bristol came in 10th, receiving 84. Brizzle’s smaller size worked to its advantage, as demonstrated by very positive feedback from customers.

Conversely, only one British airport scored in the bottom five for accessibility. London Heathrow, with a less-than-ideal score of 48, was noted by Halton Stairlifts for having long wait times for assistance from staff, and unclear signage.

Air travel in the UK with Time Out

Looking for more on the best airports and airlines in Britain right now? A brand new transatlantic airline is launching flights between Glasgow and New York, or you can read about the three London airports in Skytrax’s top 100 in the world here. You can also discover what’s available in the British Airways sale, ending on May 20.

In other aviation news, the world’s longest flight will launch from the UK in 2027 and 10 UK airports have just changed security rules around liquids in hang luggage –here’s everything you need to know.