The Airport Operator | Autumn
06 October 2025
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson chaired the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group. Here she gives The Airport Operator her personal reflections on the work of the group
My heart sinks every time I see a headline when a disabled person is either stuck on a plane, or an important piece of mobility equipment goes missing or is damaged. While some cases make the headlines, many do not.
I was delighted to be asked to chair the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group (AATFG) because disabled people deserve to have a positive experience. This piece of work was done within the context of there being no new money and no current plans for any legislation. Added to this is the international jurisdictional nature of the industry that I had little direct influence over. As the chair I had no power to enforce any recommendations, so it is based on the goodwill of the industry. However bearing all this in mind it did not stop me from leaving behind some ideas if the government were ‘so minded’ to legislate in the future or there was another attempt at this piece of work. What was a long list of 168 suggestions in total was whittled down to a more manageable list...
