Cardiff Airport beats Heathrow on accessibility in 2026 CAA report – Rhoose 2026

Key Points

• Cardiff Airport has retained a “very good” rating in the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Airport Accessibility Report for 2025/26.
• The airport scored higher than London Heathrow and London Stansted, which were both rated “good”.
• Nineteen of the 28 assessed UK airports achieved the top “very good” rating; nine were rated “good” and none were rated “needs improvement” or “poor”.
• The CAA highlighted Cardiff Airport’s consistent performance against waiting-time standards and strong passenger survey scores above 4.5.
• Specific practices cited include a free, fully accessible landside minibus transfer service operated by the airport’s Special Assistance team.
• The report also noted record demand for assistance services across UK airports, with 5.9 million passengers using such services in 2025.

Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) August 07, 2026 – Wales’ only international airport has again been rated “very good” for accessibility by the UK’s aviation regulator, placing it ahead of London Heathrow and London Stansted in the latest annual assessment. The Civil Aviation Authority’s Airport Accessibility Report for 2025/26 found that Cardiff Airport maintained the same top-tier status it achieved last year, with the regulator praising its assistance services for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility.

According to the CAA, Cardiff Airport “consistently achieved very close to or 100% against waiting time standards during the reporting year” and recorded “strong survey scores above 4.5, demonstrating consistent delivery of assistance services”. These metrics form part of the CAA’s Accessibility Performance Framework, which evaluates how well airports meet legal obligations and good practice in supporting passengers who require assistance.

How did Cardiff Airport perform compared with other UK airports?

The 2025/26 report assessed 28 UK airports handling more than 150,000 passengers a year. Of these, 19 were awarded the highest “very good” rating and nine were rated “good”. No airport was rated “needs improvement” or “poor”, marking a decade of progress since the CAA’s framework was introduced.

Airports achieving “very good” included Aberdeen, Belfast City, Belfast International, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Cornwall Newquay, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool, London City, London Luton, London Gatwick, London Southend, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton and Teesside.

The nine airports rated “good” were Birmingham, City of Derry, Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick, Inverness, Leeds Bradford, London Heathrow, London Stansted and Norwich. This means that two of London’s largest airports, Heathrow and Stansted, fell into the “good” category, while Cardiff Airport remained in the “very good” bracket.

Why did Cardiff Airport receive a ‘very good’ rating?

The CAA’s report highlighted a number of accessibility practices at Cardiff Airport that contributed to its high rating. Among them is a free-of-charge, fully accessible landside minibus transfer service operated by the airport’s Special Assistance team. This service is designed to accommodate passengers with reduced mobility travelling between terminals, car parks and other landside facilities.

The regulator also noted that the airport’s performance against waiting-time standards for assistance was consistently near or at 100%, indicating that passengers requiring help were met promptly throughout their journey. Passenger satisfaction surveys, which feed into the CAA’s assessment, returned average scores above 4.5 out of 5, reflecting positive experiences among disabled travellers and those with reduced mobility.

What does the wider CAA report say about accessibility across UK airports?

Beyond individual airport scores, the CAA’s 2025/26 report underlined a sector-wide trend of improving accessibility alongside rising demand for assistance. The regulator recorded 5.9 million passengers using airport assistance services in 2025, continuing a long-term pattern in which requests for help have grown faster than overall passenger numbers. Since 2015, requests for assistance have increased by 115.8%, compared with overall passenger growth of 23.9%.

The CAA said this demonstrated both greater confidence among disabled people to travel by air and ongoing efforts by airports to improve the support they offer. The authority noted that, over the past decade, the proportion of assessed airports requiring improvement had fallen from almost half to none, with every major airport now meeting at least a “good” standard.

How have other regional airports performed in the accessibility rankings?

The report showed that several regional airports matched or exceeded the performance of larger hubs. Bristol and Cornwall Airport Newquay improved from “good” to “very good” this year, while Exeter retained its “very good” rating. In the south of England, Bournemouth Airport was also rated “very good”, joining Cardiff, Gatwick and London City among the top-performing airports.

In contrast, some of the busiest airports in the UK, including Heathrow and Stansted, were rated “good” rather than “very good”, highlighting that size and passenger volume do not automatically translate into the highest accessibility scores. Meanwhile, airports such as Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh maintained their “very good” status, reinforcing the strength of regional hubs in delivering accessible travel experiences.

What specific services and practices were highlighted at Cardiff Airport?

In addition to the accessible minibus transfer, the CAA’s assessment considered a range of operational and customer-facing measures. These included staff training in disability awareness, the availability and clarity of assistance booking processes, and the physical accessibility of terminals, walkways and facilities.

While the report did not publish a granular breakdown of every measure at each airport, it emphasised that airports rated “very good” had demonstrated reliable performance across all key areas of the framework. For Cardiff Airport, this meant not only meeting minimum legal requirements but also delivering a level of service that passengers consistently rated highly in surveys.

Background of the particular development

The CAA’s Airport Accessibility Report is part of a wider regulatory push to improve air travel for disabled people and those with reduced mobility. The Accessibility Performance Framework was introduced around a decade ago to provide a consistent way of measuring how well airports support passengers who require assistance. Each year, the regulator assesses major UK airports against a set of standards covering waiting times, passenger feedback, compliance with legal obligations and the implementation of good practice.

The framework sits alongside other initiatives, such as the government’s Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group, which has recommended further reforms to make flying more inclusive. In recent years, there has been growing pressure on the aviation sector to address barriers faced by disabled passengers, from booking difficulties and inconsistent support to physical obstacles in and around terminals.

Cardiff Airport’s consistent “very good” rating reflects both its own investment in accessibility and the broader trend of improvement across the UK airport network. The airport has previously undergone periods of operational change and ownership shifts, but its accessibility performance has remained a focal point, with the CAA noting significant improvements in earlier reports and sustained high performance in the most recent assessments.

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Prediction: how this development can affect travellers and the aviation sector

The latest CAA findings are likely to reinforce Cardiff Airport’s reputation as a preferred option for passengers who prioritise accessibility, particularly those travelling from Wales and the surrounding regions. For disabled travellers and people with reduced mobility, the airport’s “very good” rating may provide additional confidence when choosing where to fly from, especially when compared with larger hubs that scored “good” rather than “very good”.

Over time, this could influence route development and airline decisions, as carriers may be more inclined to base or expand services at airports with strong accessibility records and positive passenger feedback. For the wider aviation sector, the report’s emphasis on record demand for assistance services suggests that investment in accessible infrastructure and staff training will remain a strategic priority.

Airports rated “good” but not “very good”, including Heathrow and Stansted, may face increased scrutiny from regulators, passenger groups and commercial partners to close the gap. This could lead to targeted improvements in assistance operations, wayfinding, digital accessibility and staff training, particularly at high-volume sites where even small delays or inconsistencies can affect large numbers of passengers.

For policymakers, the data supports arguments for maintaining and potentially strengthening the CAA’s oversight role, ensuring that accessibility improvements keep pace with passenger growth. For travellers, the overall trajectory points towards a more consistent and reliable experience across UK airports, with regional hubs such as Cardiff increasingly recognised as leaders in accessible air travel.