Attendees
Nicola Tibbles (HAL)
Rebecca Stephens (HAL)
Jamie Pinney (HAL)
Simon White (HAL)
Raj Patel (HAL)
Helen Smith (HAAG chair)
Keith Richards (HAAG Chair)
Chris woods (HAAG Member)
Jerry Angrave (HAAG Member)
Geraldine Lundy (HAAG Member)
Monika Solanki (HAL)
Georgie Hill- Jones (HAAG Member)
Sophia Untersteggaber (CAA)
Liz Boadella Burton(WJ)
Tanvi Vyas (HAAG Member)
Jose Fernandez (Ferrovial)
Aydan Sener-Deller (HAL)
Introductions and welcome
NT: updates on changes within the team and impacts of COVID and an overview of her role and responsibilities includes looking after several other activities across the services function. For example, capital portfolio and anything that comes our way from the H7 plan, which we are still waiting to be signed off. And as soon as that is signed off, we will come back to you as a group because there’s a lot of PRS activity within our H7 plan for services. For the next six months the team have been tasked, we’ve really focusing on getting our operational excellence back, making sure the service is where it should be and we’re providing that service for both our passengers and also our airlines.
Becky to take over from Sarah in relationship manager for HAAG, CAA and terminals 2 and 4. Greg is going to be focusing on Terminal 4 and Terminal 5, operational excellence. Jamie will be the data expert he does quite a lot of the regulatory statistics and he works quite closely with James and Sophia providing lots and lots of data.
All terminals now up and running so we are now operating with all terminals we chose a phased approach. Heathrow Express is still running a regular service through there, so it is fit for purpose and it’s looking really good. Our number one priority and will be during the summer period is safety. That’s one of Heathrow’s core values. So for us, it’s about making sure that the airport is safe and secure for all of our passengers traveling through.
Janki, another report of mine is also working on what we call service training with them. So she’s just built an online service tool around how to help Great passengers how to identify vulnerable passengers in queuing spaces and I’m actually more than happy to share that video with you
Update from Sophia (CAA)
Obviously we’re doing a lot of work with Heathrow’s well as other airports and yeah, which is engaging with airports now. Obviously, you’re already mentioned the letter we sent out. So, we’re just going over the responses and kind of talking to airports individually, and, monitoring and we’ve restarted our airline framework.
In case we have any observations, you know anything that can improve on, we feed that back and we ask for data more regularly now to keep an eye on performance and catch things early on in case there are issues. So, we do a lot of at hoc work besides our regular performance reviews and so on. As you can see in the media coverage, there’s a lot of reports we get in touch with airports individually. Look into it to see if the more of a root problem there and catch up with them to understand what’s happening operationally. We are on top of it and try and engage with airports regularly to find these problems early on and find solutions.”
Liz Boadella Burton Update (WJ):
Presents slides: the challenges faced by an airport due to increased demand over the past couple of months. The airport has experienced a significant rise in passenger numbers lase month we assisted 140,000 passengers, and there is a struggle to meet this demand with available resources. The focus is on forecasting passenger numbers and recruitment efforts to hire more agents. The vetting process for new hires has been slow, causing delays in getting people to work and exacerbating the resource shortage. The airport is trying to support the teams, prioritise critical tasks, and maintain smooth operations for passengers’ journeys through the airport. Some employees have shifted roles to accommodate demand, and promotions have been given to retain talent. Despite the challenges, the airport is working diligently to cope with the situation as they head into the busy summer period.
Whilst we haven’t got the required numbers in the operation is to focus the public passengers, making sure they did get on their flights. Manual handling tasks, so those passengers that can’t help themselves and making sure that that’s a focus. But also, we are transfers and that’s part of the departure process as well, trying to make sure that that those passengers get to their onward travel.
Georgie Hill-Jones raises question about the slow accreditation process for passes at the airport, asking if there are any barriers to speeding it up. Liz explains that the vetting process requires a comprehensive five-year history of job references, which becomes challenging due to gaps in employment caused by redundancies and COVID-related job changes. To streamline the process, the airport now requests HMRC letters upfront during interviews to verify employment history more efficiently. The team has been split to focus on security interviews and vetting follow-ups. They are working closely with Heathrow to prioritize the processing of vetting but acknowledge the complexity of the situation as other companies also require swift processing. The airport is continually reviewing and making changes to improve the process.
Brilliant start getting them in the performance recovery, It’s minimizing that impact on PRS to doing whatever we can to just keep thinking outside the box, but it can come program and make sure that we are a little bit ahead of the game and looking at mitigating rather than reviewing because we’ve had our enters incident Collaboration, obviously with the CAA as we build back to meet the CAA good, so yeah that, you know, some of the things that we want to do is you around terminal in the midway point We’ve got team of people really focused on helping us be the very best in the operation and my operational team, just focusing on the operation. And making sure that everything that is being done in the background comes to fruition. But most importantly, it’s safety.
Update From Jose Fernandez (Ferrovial):
Presents slides talks through the design of a new terminal at the airport. The speaker emphasizes the opportunity to set high standards and avoid future challenges by building from scratch. They discuss the terminal’s layout, which includes check-in areas, security, and different levels for arrivals and departures. The speaker highlights the ambition to minimize passenger assistance needs while providing the best possible experience for those who require assistance. The presentation also covers the flow of passengers requiring assistance, with dedicated PR (Passenger with Reduced Mobility) lounges and the consideration of practical amenities like changing rooms and sensory rooms. Feedback and suggestions are sought to further improve the design.
Keith Richards emphasizes the importance of taking a holistic view of the passenger journey and involving passengers with disabilities in the co-design process. He stresses the need to consider diverse abilities and impairments to create an inclusive environment. Keith also highlights the significance of preserving accessibility goals during the design, implementation, and operational phases, ensuring that signage and other elements do not obstruct accessibility features. He encourages the use of technology, like virtual reality, to test the design before construction. Jose expressing gratitude for the input and feedback received from the group.
Update from Simon White (HAL):
SW: In my team, we’ve got a Raj Patel who is our project manager for in our shell and core works. And then we’ve got Aydan, who’s our kind of leap PM for retail fit outs. I think it’s a lot of companies that Heathrow don’t get it, so I’m happy to take all the feedback. Any ideas to make it right and we will do our best?”
Simon and Keith discuss the importance of inclusive design and accessibility in construction projects, especially within retail units at the airport. They acknowledge the need to consider accessibility requirements early in the design stage to avoid costly retrofitting. Simon shares that they involve building control teams to address accessibility concerns in designs, but also express a desire to seek professional accessibility reviews to ensure inclusivity. Keith emphasizes the value of co-designing and challenges the idea of cost differences, suggesting that inclusive design can be achieved without significant additional expenses.
NT: the airport’s objective to be the most accessible and leading in accessibility. They mention their efforts to fix the basics of the assistance service and the formation of various working groups to address operational performance and continuous improvement. They highlight the challenges faced due to non-notified PRM passengers and the need for better communication between the airport, airlines, and service providers. The team also discusses the growth of the PRS team to provide the best possible service for passengers requiring assistance. Structural changes are planned to start soon to improve accessibility further, and a new team member will focus on key relationships and strategic activities.
JP: Jamie discusses plans to improve accessibility in Terminal 3 of the airport. They aim to eliminate the T3 midway point and create host areas in the baggage reclaim hall and near connections to streamline the passenger journey. Jamie mentions risk assessments, increased use of electronic equipment, and icaddys to enhance the passenger experience and provide better assistance. They also plan to create a total journey map, detailing all necessary information in an accessible format to empower passengers to make informed decisions and improve their independence during their journey. They are exploring additional options like Braille and pre-recorded messages for further accessibility.
NT: Wilson James addressed feedback on visibility issues by introducing high visibility jackets for their agents with the word “assistance” on them. The focus was on improving safety and efficiency in the Terminal 3 arrivals process, aiming to eliminate the T3 midway point and set up host areas in the baggage reclaim hall and near connections. The team collaborated with the airlines to address wheelchair repatriation challenges and enhance on-time performance to improve passenger experiences during transfers. Further plans included auditing processes and creating a total journey map to provide clear information for passengers. The objective is to continuously refine and enhance the service to achieve better accessibility at the airport.
GL: shared their experience of being invited to sit on the inaugural access meeting of the global body for airports, ACI World. The meeting aimed to assess and improve airport accessibility worldwide, but it highlighted the industry’s need to raise awareness and engage in accessibility issues. ACI World plans to develop a questionnaire to assess airports’ accessibility and eventually implement a full accessibility assessment program. The speaker requested input and ideas for the questionnaire and informed the group that Heathrow might be one of the pilot airports to test and refine the assessment tool.
JA: shared some insightful observations from the Passenger Terminal Expo in Paris. He highlighted the need for improved accessibility in various aspects of airport services, including bag drop machines with reflective screens and dark rooms at events. Jerry suggested learning from Tokyo Haneda Airport’s caregiving service reservation feature and keeping website data up to date. He also emphasized the importance of passenger collaboration and feedback in shaping accessibility standards and mentioned an autonomous wheelchair technology that raised questions about the balance between efficiency and personalized, friendly service. Jerry’s reflections prompted considerations for relevant and personalised technology to enhance accessibility.
Jerry shared some valuable insights from his recent experiences, including an airline/holiday company’s efforts in creating an accessibility forum and involving passengers in the design process. He also discussed the importance of personalized and friendly service, the challenge of measuring success in accessibility, and the need for collaboration among airports. Jerry mentioned examples from different airports and suggested sharing ideas and innovations between airports and parallel sectors. The discussion touched on various topics, such as accessibility at baggage halls, airport awards, pre-notifications, and staff involvement in handling accessibility challenges. There was a call for continued collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the group to improve accessibility across all aspects of airport services.
KR: Keith proposed the idea of having a standing item for ideas and innovation during quarterly meetings, where members could share their findings and suggestions in advance. Jamie, Chris, and Jerry agreed to the proposal. Chris mentioned the need to filter through the numerous suggestions received. Keith also raised the topic of ECAC Plus and how to go beyond meeting targets to deliver a meaningful and customer-centric service. The discussion touched on the importance of having a diverse group of members with various skills and experiences. The next quarterly meeting in September is planned to be in person with hybrid capabilities to accommodate those unable to attend physically. Helen, who attended a previous hybrid meeting, expressed that the format worked well, especially when efforts were made to involve virtual participants actively in the discussions.
Meeting drawn to a close.