Attendees
Jamie Pinney – Services Manager Assistance – Heathrow
Anne Thorpe (Guest) – HAAG Member
Tanvi Vyas – HAAG Member
Libby Herbert | Colostomy UK (External) – HAAG Member
Helen Dolphin (GBRTT) (External) – HAAG Member
Dr Carly Danesh Jones MBE (Unverified) – HAAG Member
Josh (Unverified) – HAAG Member
Farah Ali – Services Manager Assistance – Heathrow
Keith RIchards – HAAG Co-Chair
Abi Oakley – Support Services – Heathrow
Liz Boadella Burton – Director – Wilson James
Geraldine Lundy (Unverified) – HAAG Vice Chair
Emily Kilby – CAA
Danny Hall – Services Manager Assistance – Heathrow
Jerry Angrave (Unverified) HAAG Member
Janet Mclaren – Support Services – Heathrow
Jenny McLaughlin – HAND Network – Heathrow
Tonia Fielding – Services Director – Heathrow
Introduction and Welcome
KR and HD introduce call,
All introduce themselves
Self Serve Wheelchair Bays
DH – Introduces concept of self serve wheelchair bays, which have just launched in Terminal 2 and Terminal 5, highlighting opportunity for family members to assist travelling passenger in Heathrow equipment without seeing supplier, enables greater choice travelling through airport
DH – Specifies significant demand for product following initial feedback, thousands of passengers have already utilised since launch in April. We will look to consistently develop product, learning from feedback as we progress and roll out to wider areas and other terminals, aim to launch in both arrivals and departures.
So with this, we’re now looking to roll this out to T2T3 and T4.
HD – Expresses surprise at number of passengers which have utilised questions if there will be any options of motorised equipment
DH – exploring in the future
GL – Feedback would suggest this product would work very well on arrivals
DH – Current focus is on departures as there are common entry points so capture more passengers, we are assessing how best to launch in arrivals.
TV – How are you capturing feedback from passengers?
DH – Covers feedback strategy and data capture
LH – Question around security process on stoma bags
JP – Explains process, highlighting private search options.
All – Open discussion around next generation security process and potential impacts to consumers
Training
JP – Plan for today to take you through our disability awareness training and gather feedback to ensure that the training provided is relevant and best arms colleagues to provide better service to passengers who require additional support in certain environments.
JP – Presents 36 slides which cover each section of disability training,
HAAG Members – Question slides and provide feedback around language used, relevancy of aspects of training, challenging approach in some of the situations presented, questions around imagery and accessibility of training, questioning frequency of training alongside how the training is delivered
EK – CAA are focusing on training to ensure consistency across airports
JP – Thank you, will collate all of the feedback ahead of our training review in September, we want to engage you further on the training and if possible include you in the design phases, including updating some of the multimedia aspects such as videos, We will look to engage more on this subject closer to the time of filming etc.
WJ Operational Performance Update
LBB – Delivers slides around operational performance, SLA performance,, including volume highlighting record breaking numbers, ECAC performance and machine learning to assist in planning, discusses planning activity ahead of peak periods of the year, equipment strategy and challenges in connections.
JA – Questions around how we adapt service on individual needs
JP – Provides information relating to service level agreements with WJ
KR – Questions around connecting product and how we ensure passengers get flights
LBB – Explains connecting prioritisation process
JW – Questions around technology and validity of data for CAA
EK – Highlights CAA auditing process
JW – Questions around how well prepared we are for Olympics/para Olympics
LBB – Explains planning cell within Wilson James which are focused towards Olympics and ensuring appropriate resources are in place, working with airlines
LBB – Provides SLA update, highlighting significant improvements year on year and plans to continue exceeding in this space
HAAG – Open discussion around SLA performance, commenting on substantial growth within the service and reasons for why this may be the case
JP – Provides a contract update, highlighting contract term ending in November and potential to look at contract extension or re-tender process, highlighting opportunity to challenge standards across the board and for Heathrow to begin to realise its vision for the service prioritising passengers.
Heathrow Accessibility and Inclusion Standard
JM – Makes introduction
JM – Discusses importance of ensuring that accessibility is considered at every stage within projects, regardless of area I.E infrastructure, technology, should be ensuring it is accessible and benefits everyone.
JM – Dicusses Heathrow accessibility standard and how this is being applied across the board, removing barriers from travel.
CJ – Questions the impacts this has on recruitment,
JM – Discusses EDI policies around recruitment and how this is not a barrier.
TV – Questions any outreach programmes we currently have working with universities etc.
JM – Highlights work with different disability groups, whilst also discusses Heathrow’s community pledges and programme.
Heathrow Strategy Update
TF – Makes introduction and provides apologies, due to incident within terminals have been unable to join.
TF – Discusses Team changes to Heathrow assistance team and impacts of this, Discusses Heathrow direction relating to Thomas Woldbye and how focus has become on new beacons of service ensuring we are remaining fast and focused.
TF – Discusses the substantial amount of work within 2024 to ensure that the bar is being raised for assistance passengers, removing barriers for travel and allowing them to travel through the airport how they want to travel.
KR – Thanks TF for the commentary, highlighting the importance of HAAG feedback in these workstreams and the value that can add.
JA – Questions accountability and where this is held
TF – Highlights its at exec level, that is how seriously we are taking improvements.
Meeting Ends 15:03.