Inclusive airports: How Jersey Airport created a specialist team for assisted travel

Jersey Airport has welcomed 25,000 passengers through its revamped assisted travel service since launching the project this year. The milestone comes at the end of a busy summer for the airport, which took over responsibility for all assisted travel from 1 April. The project involved building a team of Customer Experience Assistants from scratch ahead of their summer season and providing training on manual handling, specialist equipment and passenger interaction.

Head of Jersey Airport Customer Experience, Sarah-Louise Stubbs, who oversaw the project, said that she was delighted with how the new team handled their first season. “After 24 years working at Jersey Airport I can honestly say that this is the proudest I have ever been of a group of team members,” she said.

“Our passengers who require assistance, whether that’s a wheelchair, a helping arm or some wayfinding, are so important to us and we wanted to create a service that treated them as individuals and provide a warm welcome to all.

“I really feel that we have achieved that, and we are on the way to redefining Jersey as a destination that provides a great service for the small percentage of passengers who need a bit of extra help while travelling.”

Why did Jersey Airport take control of assisted travel?

Jersey Airport stepped in to take over control of all Assisted Travel after a difficult summer season in 2023, which prompted Jersey Airport to review the service and ultimately decide to handle it themselves.

“We have wanted to take control of Assisted Travel for a while and bringing it in-house for 2024 allowed the ground handlers to concentrate fully on the core elements of their operation,’ said Sarah-Louise.

“We spent a long time recruiting a dedicated team of Customer Experience Assistants to care for our Assisted Travel passengers and it was time well spent, judging by the very positive feedback we have received. We have a huge range of people, from 16-year-olds in their first job to 76-year-olds who have come out of retirement after several years. They come from all backgrounds, including a former bank manager, a retired school headmaster, ex-care home workers and even an air traffic controller who spent nearly 40 years up in the ATC tower. But what they all share is a passion for customer service and a desire and will to help people. I could not be prouder of them.”

How will the Assisted Travel service work now?

As part of the overhaul, Jersey Airport relocated its two assisted travel lounges, creating a centralised location for passengers waiting to go to the gate, with specialised furniture designed for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues. They also purchased a new fleet of Staxi wheelchairs and aisle chairs, as well as an Aviogei Thunderlift 4000e Ambulift and ProMove Slings to ensure that passengers can be lifted safely in and out of aircraft seats.

“One of the first things that we did was bring our airside assisted travel lounge front and centre to the heart of the airport,” said Sarah-Louise.

“There is a risk that passengers requiring assistance are sometimes forgotten about or treated as an afterthought. We wanted to place them in the middle of the operation to bring them as close as possible to the airport facilities and to make sure that they are at the forefront of the journey. With a dedicated lounge and staff always available to help we have hopefully created a welcoming space that gives our assisted travel passengers peace of mind as well as a comfortable place to wait.”
Jersey Airport recruited the assistance of ABM Airline Services to help launch the project, with the international company providing training and advice for Jersey Airport staff in the first few months of the year. ABM provided on-site trainers, as well as ‘boots on the ground’ support in the first few weeks, as Jersey Airport’s new team became familiar with operating on the ramp.

“To become the best, you must be trained by the best,” said Sarah-Louise.

“ABM has a fantastic reputation as an assisted travel provider and we are delighted with their support in those first few weeks. Passengers who require assisted travel are sometimes feeling vulnerable or nervous about travelling, and ABM’s approach was very much customer-first, as well as a real emphasis on safety and procedures.”

The service was built around a passenger service app designed by AvTech, which works with more than 280 airports, airlines and service contractors. Each Customer Experience Assistant uses a mobile device to handle jobs and to provide one-on-one assistance, which ensures that the service is efficient and personalised.

As part of a commitment to providing a robust service for all passengers, Jersey Airport also entered a partnership with charity All Matters Neurodiverse, which has provided communication boards for the airport and held awareness seminars for staff from all departments. The aim was to recognise and offer support for people who are neurodivergent, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia.
Subsequently, Jersey Airport’s Operations Managers have been offering pre-flight visits for families with children who are neurodivergent to familiarise them with the checking-in, security and boarding process.

“Our familiarisation visits have been a huge success and I’m delighted that we have helped some families achieve the stress-free travel experience that they thought would never be possible,” said Sarah-Louise.

“We fully believe that everyone has the right to travel in a calm, relaxed and dignified manner – and I am positive that we have taken great strides towards achieving that this summer.”

Feedback received from passengers

Below are some glowing reviews received by the airport.

“I took my daughter (age three) on her first flight this weekend. She has autism and struggles with sensory issues but with her love for planes I wanted to try and make her dream come true. I am honestly so grateful beyond words for the exceptional kindness shown by the staff at Jersey Airport. We were supported with such warmth and understanding, allowing us to use the lounge in a quiet area, gave us priority boarding and helped us get onto the plane before anyone else so I could calm her down during meltdowns. I can honestly say we wouldn’t have been able to do this trip without these kind people.”

“Flew into Jersey on Sunday and back yesterday (Southampton Blue Island). I am disabled and requested special assistance in advance. The team were absolutely fantastic. Emma gave me lots of help and reassurance as I was struggling. All the team were so very helpful and I praise them for the excellence of customer service.”