BOURNEMOUTH Airport has been rated ‘good’ for accessibility for disabled passengers.

In a report published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) yesterday, Bournemouth was one of 10 airports to be given the rating.

The report ranks airports from ‘very good’, ‘good’, ‘needs improvement’ and 'poor'.

A total of 16 UK airports were rated as ‘very good’, up from six airports in last year’s review.

Manchester Airport received a ‘poor’ rating for the second year in a row and is the only airport to receive the rating this year.

Birmingham, Gatwick and Stansted failed to meet the CAA’s expectations and have been told they must improve.

The Civil Aviation Authority assesses airports against a number of measures to establish how well they are performing for disabled passengers, including asking those passengers using the assistance service how it performed for them.

Paul Smith, Consumers and Markets Director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “We are pleased that surveys show that satisfaction levels remain high and the vast majority of passengers' journeys go smoothly. The improved performance of many airports means disabled passengers should have even more confidence to travel from UK airports.

Baroness Sugg, UK Aviation Minister, said: “It's essential that passengers with reduced mobility or hidden disabilities get the service they deserve every time they fly.”