Heathrow Access Advisory Group

Aiming to make Heathrow the world's leading airport for accessibility and inclusion

info@haag.org.uk

Terms of Reference

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    1. The Heathrow Access Advisory Group (‘HAAG’) has been established by Heathrow Airport Limited (‘HAL’) to help it deliver its vision to make Heathrow the leading airport in the world regarding accessibility and inclusion by bringing a consumer perspective into HAL’s decision-making and planning processes.

Objective and Focus

    1. The objective (‘Objective’) of the HAAG is to provide independent advice and constructive and considered challenge to HAL in relation to:
      • whether and how the interests of special categories of passengers (‘SCPs’) with the exclusion of deportees, inadmissible passengers, or prisoners in custody) are considered in fulfilling relevant regulatory duties and other functions;
      • monitoring the service output performance of the passengers with reduced mobility (‘PRM’) service provider and other stakeholders involved in frontline interaction with passengers with special needs and the ageing population;
      • reviewing and providing independent advice about improvements to the passenger experience; and
      • cooperating with HAL in shaping future passenger experience.
    2. In delivering the Objective, HAAG will act as a ‘critical friend’, define the scope of SCPs interests in any given issue, and reflect the principles of access, inclusion, information, safety, representation, and redress. By sharing consumer-led intelligence and expertise from other sectors, the HAAG will work in partnership with HAL on a range of agreed, targeted projects, delivering specific outputs that enhance accessibility, inclusion, dignity, value for money, protection, and fair treatment.
    3. The HAAG will also support HAL by bringing to its attention issues and areas of best practice from other sectors that may be relevant to HAL’s operations.
    4. In fulfilling the Objective, the HAAG will consider the interests of all groups of passengers, not solely SCPs.
    5. The HAAG has an advisory role but does not have any decision-making responsibilities or accountability role. The HAAG shall operate independently of HAL in its thinking and shall express its views freely.
    6. The focus of the HAAG’s work shall be on those activities that fall within the scope of facilitation for SCPs.
    7. At the Chair’s discretion, the HAAG shall co-operate with airport stakeholders or with any passenger, industry, or regulatory group, national or international, which can further the reasonable interests of passengers and would support the HAAG’s work.

Membership

    1. HAAG shall consist of a chair (“Chair”) and up to 10 members (“Members”).
    2. The Chair and Members shall encompass a broad range of relevant expertise and experience.
    3. Appointment of the Chair will be made by HAL for a term of three years, and may be renewed by HAL for a maximum of one further term of three years.
    4. Appointment of Members will be made by the Chair of HAAG and the recruitment process will be carried out by HAL and Chair of HAAG. Such appointments will be for a term of up to three years which may be renewed by the Chair for a maximum of one further term of up to three years. However, the fact that a Member has served for a maximum period in that capacity will not preclude him or her serving as Chair beyond the end of that period.
    5. No employee of HAL may be Chair of HAAG.
    6. Members will be appointed as individuals or representatives of charities/other relevant organisations.
    7. The Chair and Members will work towards the Objective of HAAG, and not promote their own interests or those of any group or organisation for which they work or of which they are members. In this respect, Members will have to make a declaration of interest at the start of their tenure and ensure such declaration of interest is regularly updated.

HAAG Duties

    1. The HAAG will:
      1. Meet regularly (a minimum of four times per year) and be available for consultation by HAL on specific issues. The quorum for meetings shall be seven Members (including the Chair). Members’ attendance through telephone or video link is permissible for the purposes of determining a quorum.
      2. Be outcome focussed and prioritise its work on those issues where it can have most impact and are relevant to its skills and experience. It may use sub groups to deliver advice on these issues.
      3. Be active in bringing to the attention of HAL any issues which are likely to be of significance to SCPs. As part of this, the HAAG will have a role in providing input as HAL develops its strategic plans with regards to infrastructure accessibility, assistive technology, targeted services and any other item related to customer service, dignified access to air travel, passenger experience, and future travel experience.
      4. Monitor and review HAL’s service provider’s PRM assistance performance and training protocols.
      5. Help HAL develop its approach to consumer engagement to inform consumers of HAL’s offering to SCPs.
      6. Respond to formal requests for advice from HAL in a prompt manner, in such form as it reasonably sees fit. (Where HAAG feels unable to respond to a request for advice from HAL it shall provide HAL with a reasoned explanation.)
      7. Request access to information from HAL which it reasonably requires in carrying out the Objective.
      8. Request regular access to senior management as and when required.
      9. Determine its own rules of procedure. (HAL’s rules on ethics shall apply to the HAAG, and any financial arrangements applicable to the HAAG shall be handled under HAL’s standing processes.)
      10. Maintain the confidentiality of information provided to the HAAG by HAL (see paragraphs 23-25, below).

HAL duties

    1. HAL will:
      1. Be open and transparent with the HAAG as HAL’s work programme in relation to SCPs evolves in order that the HAAG can meaningfully identify and review its priorities and plan its work.
      2. Provide the HAAG with sufficient notice of the issues that it will require the HAAG to advise on.
      3. Engage the HAAG at early stages on areas within their work programme in relation to SCPs so that the interests of SCPs can be embedded from the outset.
      4. Consider representations made to it by the HAAG and provide timely responses to such representations.
      5. Provide such secretariat support as may be reasonably required to enable the HAAG to operate effectively.
      6. Provide the HAAG with prompt access to all information which the HAAG reasonably requires in fulfilling its duties. (Where HAL feels unable to respond to a request for advice it shall provide the HAAG with a reasoned explanation.) Heathrow Access Advisory Group Classification: Public
      7. Give the HAAG reasonable access to HAL senior management.
      8. Give sufficient prior notice to the HAAG of any relevant significant new consumer issues that HAL is putting in the public domain.

Accountability

    1. The HAAG will work with HAL to develop the HAAG’s annual work programme so that it aligns with HAL’s strategic ambition. The programme, which may be amended from time to time, should include a clear ordering of priorities, demonstrate how it links to HAL’s scope, how the HAAG’s resource will be allocated and an indication of what the HAAG wishes to achieve for SCPs. The work programme will account for a significant proportion of the HAAG’s activity and will be presented annually and upon amendment to HAL’s Board for information.
    2. The HAAG will produce an annual report on its activities, which may be published by HAL in such form as it chooses.
    3. The HAAG will provide the minutes of its meetings to HAL so they can be published on HAL’s website once approved by the Chair of the HAAG. HAL’s management will be kept informed of the HAAG’s discussions after each meeting.
    4. The HAAG may speak out publicly and independently of HAL when it wishes to draw attention to matters in the public interest.
    5. The HAAG and HAL shall review the HAAG’s Terms of Reference from time to time and in any event not less than every two years.

Information provision and confidentiality

  1. It is in the interest of both HAL and the HAAG for HAL to make available to the HAAG relevant, timely, and up to date information of relevance to SCPs interests. The HAAG will respect the status on which all information is provided by HAL and maintain the confidentiality of all information supplied by HAL on that basis.
  2. However, HAL may be subject to legal constraints in relation to the disclosure of information it gathers during its daily operations. It is permitted to disclose information about businesses and individuals where this will facilitate the exercise of its functions and this would include putting material before the HAAG so that it may carry out its role in helping HAL make better decisions. There may be exceptional cases where HAL, having applied the relevant legal tests, considers that disclosure cannot be made or redactions need to be applied. Examples of such cases would be where HAL considers that disclosure would be contrary to the public interest or would cause significant harm to the individual or business concerned. HAL will therefore provide the HAAG with information relating to individuals and stakeholders where the HAAG reasonably requires it to fulfil its role of helping HAL to carry out its duties.
  3. HAL may on occasion opt not to disclose information or to redact information where disclosure would be contrary to the public interest or might harm the interests of the business or individual concerned. The HAAG Members will agree to respect and understand the need for confidentiality and will enter (upon HAL request) Non-Disclosure Agreements if reasonably required by HAL. They will not disclose any information about a business or individual which is provided to them while acting as a HAAG member without the consent of HAL and then only for purposes related to fulfilling their role as a HAAG Member.
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