LLA Leads The Way: Empowering Through Accessibility Familiarization Day

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

London Luton Airport (LLA) and easyJet collaborated to organize an Accessibility Familiarization Day, offering passengers with visual or hidden disabilities an immersive experience through every stage of the passenger journey.

Over 30 attendees participated in the event, engaging in activities such as check-in, security procedures, exploring the departure lounge, and familiarizing themselves with other airport amenities. Subsequently, they boarded an easyJet aircraft to interact with volunteer cabin crew members.

Various teams from LLA, including the Guest Experience team, Security, and Operations, alongside the special assistance service provider Wilson James, played host for the day. Support was also provided by Menzies Aviation, Bedfordshire Police, and the airport Fire Service. Attendees had the opportunity to explore and inquire about all facets of the airport’s operations.

Ruqsana Khan, who attended the day with her 9-year-old son Zayd, commented: “Thank you so much to everyone at London Luton Airport who provided this wonderful opportunity and who were all so kind and helpful. Zayd has had such a positive experience, it feels like half the battle has already been won. The next step is for us to go an actual journey, but for Zayd to have the opportunity to become more familiar with all aspects of the airport experience, and to know that there are so many people on hand to help, really provides us with a platform to build on. I hope this will mean we are able to enjoy some wonderful travel experiences in the years to come.”

Clare Armstrong, Head of Guest Experience at London Luton Airport, commented: “We want to make travel accessible for everyone and this event provided a useful opportunity for passengers, and would-be passengers, with either visual or hidden disabilities, to familiarise themselves with the different areas of an airport, without the time constraints of catching a flight. The event helps us to ensure we maintain a disability friendly environment and aims to provide passengers with disabilities with any reassurance they may need. It’s been really pleasing to receive so much positive feedback from the families who came along and we now look forward to providing them with another simple and friendly passenger experience as they set off on their travels this summer and beyond.”

Later this year, LLA is set to introduce a new airside lounge tailored for passengers with reduced mobility. This dedicated space will offer a serene environment, catering to the special assistance needs of passengers. The lounge will feature amenities such as a sensory area, adult changing facilities, flight information screens, charging points for wheelchairs and phones, adjustable lighting, a variety of seating options, and drinking water facilities.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, LLA was awarded a ‘very good’ rating by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for its services catering to passengers with special assistance needs. Furthermore, the airport was acknowledged for its ongoing dedication to enhancing customer experience. It attained level 2 in the Airports Council International’s (ACI) Customer Experience Accreditation program last year. Additionally, it achieved its highest annual ASQ score, with 4.06 out of 5 passengers rating their experience as either very good or excellent.

« Back to Page