Special Assistance

Special Travel Assistance should be arranged with the airline or travel company no less than 48 hours prior to the day of departure. The passenger’s requirements will be forwarded to the airport and Special Travel Assistance from trained staff will be made available on the day of travel from the point of arrival. For any late assistance requirement the airport’s Passenger Services Department should be notified email: [email protected] or call 07896 168 326.

• Aer Lingus (prefix EI…) 0333 006 6921
• Aurigny (prefix GR…) 01481 267267
• Blue Islands (prefix SI…)
• Loganair (prefix LM…) 0344 800 2855
• Ryanair (prefix FR…)
• TUI/First Choice (prefix TOM…)  0844 871 1600

Procedures for Outbound Passengers

• Passengers who have made their way into the terminal may attend the Help Point at the Assistance Desk in the check-in hall.
• Passengers with Hidden Disabilities may wish to inform the Assistance Desk and check-in staff of the need for assistance and obtain a Sunflower Lanyard. This scheme will enable airport staff to be become aware of passengers with a condition that may not be obvious. These may include hearing and visual impairment, colostomy and stoma conditions, dementia and autism.
• The answers to Special Travel Assistance questions will ensure that passengers receive the service that they need and the airport’s disability facilities are made available for boarding the aircraft.
• Check-in staff should be advised of any need for wheelchair carriage and arrangements will be made for electric wheelchair battery isolation.
• Seating for those awaiting Special Travel Assistance are situated prior to the Departure Channel.
• Passengers travelling without an aide will be assisted to the Security Search Area and onward to the Boarding Gate Area in preparation for boarding.
• The required assistance to board and to be seated on the aircraft will be offered by airport staff.

Arriving by car
People with Reduced Mobility (PRM) who arrive at the airport by car, should use the Help Point ‘Call Button’ at the car park entry barrier and make contact with the car park Customer Service office. The request for assistance will be forwarded to Passenger Services staff.
If the driver is unable to reach the call button, attract attention on the CCTV by flashing headlights.

Arriving by public transport
People with Reduced Mobility (PRM) who arrive at the airport by bus, and require assistance to the terminal, may use the Help Point ‘Call Button’ at the bus shelter.  Passenger Services staff will then offer assistance to the terminal.

Security: Essential Medicines & Medical Issues

• Mobility equipment may be used through Security and assistance will be offered. Please see the Equipment Advice and Facilities section.
• When there is a requirement to undertake Security search procedures of a sensitive nature a private room is set aside for this purpose.
• Passengers may carry medical items and essential medicines for the journey, including inhalers and dietary foodstuffs in containers over 100ml in hand baggage. Some of these may also need supporting documentation from a relevant qualified medical professional (eg doctor’s letter or prescription). Please check with the airline.
• EpiPens and Insulin Injection Pens may be carried in a cabin bag or within the hold of the aircraft and the user is not required to provide any medical certification.  If additional insulin is required, a doctor’s note or repeat prescription should be carried for verification.

Airport Plan

The plan (click to enlarge) shows the layout of Exeter Airport.  These are the distances that need to be travelled:

• Terminal front from Car Park 1 = 50 metres
• Check-in desks from terminal front = 20 metres
• Security from check-in desks = 30 metres
• Boarding gate from security = 20-50 metres
• Aircraft from boarding gate = 120 metres

Help Points are situated at the Assistance Desk, the Bus Stop and at the entrance to the Car Parks.

Procedures for Inbound Passengers

• Inbound Special Travel Assistance passengers will be met at the aircraft and taken into the terminal building.
• Passengers will be reunited with their baggage and wheelchair.
• Further assistance will be offered to get Special Travel Assistance passengers to their point of departure from the airport.

Mobility Equipment Advice

If a mobility aid is to travel on the aircraft the airline must be advised in advance. The airline will require the dimensions, weight, make and model of a wheelchair or mobility scooter preferably at the time of booking. If the booking is not made directly, these details will usually be forwarded to the airline by the holiday operator or travel agent.

Outbound passengers may use their mobility aid from arrival, through the airport and up to the point of boarding the aircraft. Our Ground Handling team will then ensure that the mobility aid is made safe for carriage in the hold of the aircraft. However, as any battery powered equipment will need to be immobilised they may require information on the procedure.

Inbound passengers will be reunited with the mobility aid at the aircraft side after disembarking.

In the unlikely event that the mobility equipment suffered damage in transit and could not be used, our Special Assistance team will make every effort to provide a temporary replacement.

Facilities

• Airport wheelchairs are available for Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) in the Arrivals and Departures buildings but a member of airport staff should be notified before use.
• Tactile drop-curbs and road-crossing points are clearly marked on routes from all car parks.
• Ramped access for wheelchair users is available to and from the terminal, both airside and landside.
• Electronic sensors activate doors to the Main Terminal Building and the Arrivals Building.
• The Assistance Desk in the main terminal has been designed with a low-level counter for use by those in a wheelchair.
• An Avi Ramp with a 7% slope may be used for aircraft boarding/disembarking passengers with reduced mobility and Ambulift hydraulic lift vehicles are available
• Low loading ramped airside coaches are available for passenger transfer to and from the aircraft.
• Special toilets with disabled facilities are provided in the Check-in Hall, Departure Lounge, Boarding Gate Area and the Arrivals Terminal.  Emergency call cords are provided in the cubicles.

Passengers with Hidden Disabilities are offered the opportunity to participate in the airport’s lanyard system which allows our staff to identify passengers with a condition that may need additional services or awareness. Passengers should attend the Special Assistance Desk to register their requirements and obtain a Sunflower Lanyard. Airport staff will then be more aware of passengers with a condition that may not be obvious and these include:

• Hearing impairment – A team of staff are trained, by BSL training, to assist those who are hearing impaired.
• Sight impairment – A team of staff are trained, by Guide Dogs for the Blind, to guide passengers who are sight impaired.
• Colostomy and Stoma – Security members of staff are trained to deal with this condition. When there is a requirement to undertake search procedures a private area is set aside for this purpose. The Colostomy UK Travel Advice page on their website offers comprehensive information and includes links to the Travel Advice Booklet, a Travel Checklist and how to obtain a Travel Certificate.
• Dementia – Exeter Airport is dementia friendly and our staff, who are trained by the local Primary Care Group, are ‘Dementia Friends’.
• Autism – Passengers on the Autistic Spectrum may book a guided a familiarisation tour tailored to the their needs prior to the flight. Please contact the airport at least two weeks prior to the day of travel to book this service: email or 07896 168 326. This Exeter Airport procedures video may also be useful for familiarisation.

Quiet Room
The Quiet Room is available for passengers who find it difficult to deal with the unfamiliar and overwhelming environment of the airport or wish to spend some time in a calm environment away from the noise and bright lights of the Departure Lounge.

The room is intended to offer those with hidden disabilities, such as autism, a safe haven where they can wait ahead of their flight.

The simple space is also a refuge where anxious travellers can relax, contemplate spirituality or in prayer.

To access the facility passengers should approach a member of airport staff or when using the sunflower lanyard scheme request use at the Assistance Desk.

• Way-finding signs using high contrast colours, together with illustrated pictograms give directions to main areas of the airport.
• Braille instruction cards are available at check-in and the Security Search Area for those with a visually impaired.
• Amplified hearing loops for hard-of-hearing passengers will be made available at the Assistance Desk in the Main Departure Terminal.
• Leaflet racks for information are situated at wheelchair-user eye level in the Arrival and Departure areas.
• The airport’s website has the facility to enlarge text for the visually impaired.

Long Stay

• Blue Badge parking bays are available in Car Parks P1 & P2.
• To pre-book your parking visit our official website. There is no need to specify that you require Blue Badge parking when booking.  When you arrive, please park in any allocated parking bay for Blue Badge Holders.
• Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRM) who have booked Special Assistance with the airline may book Car Park P3 but on the day of travel attend Car Park P1 or P2.
• At car park P1 & P2 entry barriers, passengers who have booked Special Assistance with the airline should use the intercom call button to request a Reduced Mobility (PRM) disability parking bay and Special Assistance to the terminal.

 Short Stay

• Blue Badge holders and drivers collecting Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRM) should drop off/pick up in Car Park P1.
• Drivers without a Blue Badge who are collecting passengers with reduced mobility may move their vehicle to the disability bays in Car Park P1 when the aircraft has ‘landed’.
• If the driver is unable to use the call button the Car Park Customer Service staff (Car Park 2) will assist: Please call either 01392 365227 or 07812 471444.
• If you’re dropping friends, colleagues or loved ones at the airport then please use the Blue Badge holders spaces in Car Parks 1 & 2.  You can stay for up to 4 hours for just the current 30-minute rate. To validate your ticket, please place your blue badge on the windscreen and use the intercom call button at the exit.

Exeter Airport is working in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 which concerns the rights of Disabled Persons and Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) when Travelling by Air. Please check if EU air passenger rights apply and also see the following:

• The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Disability and Air Travel
• The CAA’s Accessing Special Assistance information.

Quality Assurance Standards Reporting documents
The CAA’s mandatory requirement for PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility) Compliance Procedures, are posted here: 2018/2019
Previous years:2019 |  2018 | 2017 | 2016

The following information is also available within Exeter Airport’s Compliance with Statutory Regulations and Operating Procedures for Passengers with Reduced Mobility Quality Standards (PRM) document which is a Section 85 requirement in the Civil Aviation Act. Exeter Airport is working in accordance with EU Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 which concerns the rights of Disabled Persons and Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) when Travelling by Air. Please check if EU air passenger rights apply and also see the following:

• The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Disability and Air Travel
• The CAA’s Accessible Air Travel document.

Exeter Airport’s service level waiting target for outbound passenger Special Assistance at designated areas is within:

• 10 minutes if booked and within 25 minutes if not booked for 80%
• 20 minutes if booked and within 35 minutes if not booked for 90%
• 30 minutes if booked and within 45 minutes if not booked for 100%

Exeter Airport’s service level waiting target for inbound passenger Special Assistance at the aircraft on stand is within:

• 5 minutes if booked and within 25 minutes if not booked for 80%
• 10 minutes if booked and within 35 minutes if not booked

Departing PRM assistance outbound

• The airport should be informed of Special Travel Assistance requirements 48 hours prior to the day of departure.
• The airline or holiday company may make arrangements at the time of the booking on behalf of the passenger or the airport’s Passenger Services Department may be contacted directly.
• Where no notification is given prior to the day of departure the airport will make all best endeavours to cater for the needs of the PRM.
• PRM and Blue Badge holders may wish to use the Short Stay designated bays in Car Park 1 for the unloading of baggage.
• PRM passengers who are not Blue Badge holders will be advised to use parking bays adjacent to the car park Shuttle Bus Shelters in Car Park 3.
• The car park Shuttle Bus will transfer passengers from the Shuttle Bus shelters to the Terminal and back to the Shuttle Bus shelter upon return.
• Blue Badge holders or the assisting registered carer may use the Long Stay designated parking bays in Car Park 2.
• Special Travel Assistance from trained staff will be made available from the point of arrival at the airport.
• PRM and Blue Badge holders, who arrive at the airport by car, requiring assistance, should make contact with the car park Customer Service office by using the call button at the car park entry barrier.
• The request for assistance will be forwarded to a member of staff in the Passenger Services department who will make arrangements to transfer the PRM passenger to the terminal.
• A Help Point for passengers who have made their way into the terminal is situated at the Information Desk in the check-in hall.

Special Travel Assistance Help Point

The Special Travel Assistance Help Point at the Information Desk in the check-in hall is staffed from 05:00 until 19:00. When unattended signage will be in place to advise passengers that information will be available at the check-in desk.

Early arrival at terminal

PRM passengers who arrive prior to the opening of their flight’s check-in will be asked to use the Special Travel Assistance waiting area situated prior to the Departure channel. Collection will be at the commencement of check-in or 90 minutes before scheduled departure.

Passengers at check-in

• Where practical and appropriate the PRM will be taken directly to the check-in desk and introduced to the check-in agent.
• Assistance will be offered during the presentation of travel documents and to load any baggage onto the check-in conveyor belt.
• Special Travel Assistance questions, based on the ABTA Checklist for Disabled Travellers, will be asked to ensure that passengers receive the service that they need and that the airport’s disability facilities are made available for boarding the aircraft.
• Check-in staff should be advised of the need for wheelchair carriage and arrangements will be made for electric wheelchair battery isolation.
• All baggage items, including wheelchairs, will be baggage tagged.

Acceptance by the airline

PRM passengers will only be assisted to departures if they are accepted for carriage by the airline and in possession of an appropriate boarding card.

Assistance to Departures

• After check-in a PRM, requiring assistance, may be asked to wait at the Special Assistance Waiting Area prior to the Departure Channel until it is convenient to proceed to the Security Search Area.
• The Security Search Area will be negotiated with the assistance of security staff.
• A disability seat can be made available during a screening search and to avoid any embarrassment a private room for security search will be made available on request.
• The PRM will then be taken to the Special Assistance Waiting Area at the boarding gate unless there is a request for use of other airport facilities and services.

Assistance in Departures

• PRM passengers wishing to use catering and retail outlets will be offered assistance to the facility where their staff will take on the assistance responsibility until pre-boarding.
• A PRM requesting use of a toilet will be escorted to the door of the facility and the assisting member of staff will wait until the passenger is ready to leave.

Boarding commitments

• If a pre-booked PRM arrives at the airport in time for their flight, in accordance with the airline’s timings, the airport commits to delivering every passenger to the gate in time for boarding.
• If a pre-booked PRM arrives at the airport in time for their connecting flight, subject to flights arriving on schedule, the airport commits to delivering every passenger to the gate in time for boarding.

PRM aircraft boarding

At the pre-boarding time the passenger will be taken, via the boarding gate where documents need to be examined, to the aircraft. An Ambulift or Aviramp may be used if the passenger is unable to use the steps to the aircraft.

Non-wheelchair using PRM

A PRM who has agreed to walk to the aircraft will be assisted. A wheelchair will be provided if the PRM requires one at any time throughout the route.

Transferring into the aircraft

• A PRM passenger will be boarded according to the approved airline procedures and assisted onto the aircraft and to their designated seat.
• A suitable carry/aisle chair may be used for the transfer to the cabin seat.
• Hand baggage may be stowed in the overhead locker in accordance with airline regulations.

PRM with own wheelchair

• PRM own wheelchairs may be used until the boarding of the aircraft.
• Electrical wheelchairs and scooters must have the battery disconnected before being taken onto the aircraft and the PRM will be offered an airport wheelchair with a trained agent to assist.
• When the passenger has been transferred to their cabin seat, their wheelchair will be loaded onto the aircraft hold.

In the event of a flight delay

Arrangements will be made to provide care during lengthy delay periods. If light refreshments are issued the handling agent will assist in providing them.

In the event of a flight cancellation

A member of staff will assist the PRM to collect any off-loaded baggage and assist them to their next point of onward transportation.

Hotel accommodation in the event of an extended delay

If a PRM needs to be taken to an hotel in the event of an extended delay; the hotel will be advised of the passenger’s condition and of any special requirements.

Inbound assistance from aircraft

The passenger will be assisted onto the ambulift or off the aircraft using the Aviramp.

Assistance through Border Control

A PRM arriving from an international flight will be taken through the appropriate access door and to the front of the Border Control Point.

Assistance at the baggage carousel belts

A PRM will be assisted to the International Arrivals or Domestic Arrivals baggage carousel and their baggage will be identified and taken off the belt.

Assistance through Customs channels

The handling agent will take the PRM and their baggage through the Revenue and Customs channel.

Assistance to first point of onward transportation

A PRM will be assisted with their baggage to their onward travel point. This may be the short stay car park, taxi rank, bus stop or car park shuttle stop.

Waiting and onward transportation

If the onward transportation is not available at that time of arrival the passengers will be offered the opportunity to wait in an appropriate area.  If onward travel is unplanned, advice is available from the Information Desk.

Assistance to complete a “Property Irregularity Report” (PIR)

In the event that baggage is lost or damaged the handling agent will assist with the completion of the PIR.

Return of mobility aids

Wheelchairs and other mobility aids that have been transported in the aircraft hold will be carried from the aircraft and returned to the handling agent and PRM at the oversize baggage area.

PRM in transit between flights

A PRM transiting between flights will be assisted from their inbound aircraft and taken through the normal arrival or transit procedures. They will be assisted to their point of check-in and/or to the Security Search Area and normal PRM procedures will then apply.

Aircraft Diversions

Assistance for a PRM on a diverted flight will be provided as soon as possible and procedures carried out to the best ability of the staff on duty.

Contact Information

The airport provides a dedicated telephone line and email address in the contact us section of the website.  A message may be left and the handling agent will contact the passenger at the earliest opportunity.

PRM visitors to the airport

Assistance will be provided to a visiting PRM (non passenger) as a requirement of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Assistance Dogs

There is no animal holding unit at Exeter and the airport is not licensed to bring animals into the country.

The Disability Forum Consultative Committee has been set up to monitor disability services and standards. It enables Exeter Airport to develop and improve accessibility for all passengers requiring special assistance, including those with hidden disabilities. The Disability Forum, which is working on a number of initiatives, engages with local disability groups and charities. This allows the airport to better understand the challenges faced by passengers. The Disability Forum Consultative Committee has representatives from the following groups:

•  Action for Hearing Loss – Exeter Airport has installed a system of Hearing Loops which are fitted in strategic locations.
• Alzheimer’s Society -Exeter Airport has a well-established association with Ian Sherriff.  This Ambassador of the charity has enabled many members of staff to become Dementia Friends and he has given guidance on assisting passengers with Dementia when they are travelling through the airport.
• Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and BLS (British Sign Language) – The groups have given practical advice on how best to promote awareness of visual impairment and hearing loss and on how to provide assistance to passengers who require additional assistance.

The committee meeting minutes are posted here: Jul 2024 | Jan 2024 | Mar 2023|Aug 2022 | Nov 2021 | Nov 2019 | Jan 2019 | Feb 2018 | Oct 2017

RATE YOUR EXPERIENCE If you have used the Special Assistance service at Exeter Airport we would appreciate your feedback about the experience so that we can gain a better understanding of how well we are doing. Please rate your experience HERE FEEDBACK European regulations exist to ensure that all passengers have fair access to air travel. Airports are legally obliged to assist any passengers with reduced mobility and the CAA is the UK’s enforcement body for these regulations. Performance data is collected by the CAA on the quality of the assistance given to disabled people and people with mobility issues at UK airports. The CAA would be grateful for passenger participation in their CAA survey to rate the quality of the assistance for those who have recently used the service available to disabled people and people with mobility issues at Exeter Airport. Complaints concerning Special Assistance services and facilities at Exeter Airport will be fully investigated by the Terminal Manager. Where the complaint is justified, actions to improve the situation will be carried out within 24 hours, if reasonable and practical, or as promptly as possible.  If there is a need to make a complaint about the service provided or offer feedback please use the link to Contact Us or telephone 01392 354907