Flying into Gatwick

It’s always best to have pre-notified your airline regarding your assistance needs. This means that the airline staff will be aware of your requirements and will relay this information to our special assistance team who can meet you when the aircraft lands. It generally means that you will be met a lot quicker. However, if you haven’t booked assistance, please let a member of the airline staff know if you feel you’d like some help on arrival, as they can make arrangements with our special assistance staff. 

Having notified the airline staff of your requirements, they will ask assisted passengers to remain seated after landing until the special assistance staff arrive. This will allow the other passengers to disembark first, which means you can leave the aircraft at your own pace, and with as little or as much help as you need. It also aids the special assistance staff to identify and assist everybody that requires assistance.

The special assistance staff that assist you from the aircraft may not be the person who takes you all the way along the arrivals route. Sometimes, after disembarking, passengers are taken to a seating area close to the gate. Special assistance staff will then provide the assistance you need through the airport, whether this is a walking escort, wheelchair or electric buggy.

Passengers can be assisted by a walking escort, by using a wheelchair or with an electric buggy. If you’re being transported by electric buggy, please ensure you have your own passport in your possession. Due to the infrastructure along the arrivals route, electric buggies have to pass through Passport Control, even for domestic flights, meaning your ID document will need to be checked.

Special assistance can be provided to baggage reclaim where the special assistance staff member can be asked to help you retrieve your luggage from the luggage belt - they will need you to identify your luggage and to confirm this is yours. If you have asked your airline in advance to be assisted to your onward transport, whether this be to a car park, onward bus, train station or awaiting meet and greet then you may be asked to take a seat to wait for another special assistance staff member to provide this assistance.

If arriving from a domestic destination and there is more than one person from your flight that requires assistance, you will be taken through the international passport control route on a buggy. Please ensure that you have your travel documents as you will pass through passport control. The special assistance staff will assist you to the arrivals concourse and arrange for your baggage to be brought from domestic reclaim area to meet you in the arrivals area.

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters

When you arrive at Gatwick, your wheelchair or mobility aid should be there as you disembark the aircraft. Staff will unload your wheelchair, walking aid or mobility scooter from the hold along with the other baggage and cargo that's carried in the hold. Once this has been unloaded it will be brought up to the aircraft door via the nearest lift.

Should this not be the case and your equipment is taken to Baggage Reclaim for collection then your equipment will not be placed on the luggage belt but beside the belt area.

Baggage enquiries

If you discover on arrival that your baggage or equipment has been damaged please report this before leaving baggage reclaim. Please ask staff to direct you to the Global Baggage Solutions desk or airline representative desk. This is the same process should you discover that items are lost. The staff in these locations will be able to advise you on what to do next.

Ambulift and steps

Some aircraft are connected to the jetty by an airbridge, but others use a flight of stairs down to the tarmac. If you’re unable to take the stairs or the airbridge, Special assistance staff will use a vehicle called an Ambulift to assist you off of the aircraft. The rear section of the Ambulift can be elevated to meet the aircraft door, before being lowered to bring you to ground level. After this, you’ll be driven the short distance to the terminal building. Special assistance staff will be with you to assist during the process and will assist you with your journey along the arrivals route.