Special Assistance | London Gatwick Airport

Everyone is entitled to a safe and supportive experience at London Gatwick

We want all our passengers to have an easy, enjoyable, and safe experience. Our Special Assistance service can support you through the airport, and we also provide a range of accessible facilities and services to support your journey.

For peace of mind, we advise you to plan your travel carefully and always book help in advance.

Support with accessibility needs

For aged and reduced mobility

Accessible changing facilities

Hearing T-loop systems

Support for visually impaired

Booking special assistance

If you need assistance at the airport or on the aircraft for any kind of disability, you can book this via your airline or travel agent. You may wish to consider booking assistance if you have a condition which means you:

Need to bring a mobility aid, medical equipment, or assistance dog with you
Need help with boarding the plane
Cannot stand for a long time or walk long distances
Need assistance finding your way around the airport
Need assistance checking in, with security, or baggage

If you have a variable condition or a disability where you are not sure if you will need assistance on the day, we encourage you to book assistance for your worst day, so we are best prepared to support you in any unexpected circumstances like delays, queues, or changes in your health. At London Gatwick, you will be able to travel independently through any part of your journey you choose on the day.

We recommend that you book assistance at least 48 hours in advance of travelling. If you request assistance late or on the day of travel, you may experience delays receiving assistance in the airport.

In some cases, your airline will need you to book assistance so that you can be assisted on the aircraft and arrangements can be made for safe carriage of you and any equipment you have with you. This is often the case if you are travelling with medical equipment, wheelchairs and electric mobility aids, or assistance dogs. If you have not pre-booked assistance, you may experience delays or be unable to travel.

The CAA has information about booking assistance and things you may want to consider on their website.

Where can I meet Special Assistance?

There are a range of places you can meet our Special Assistance team depending on where you want help throughout the terminal. These are:

Special Assistance Receptions at the Drop-Off points located in each terminal
Help Points at our bus stops, terminal entrances, and in our Short Stay car parks if you need help into the terminal
Check-in areas if you can get into the terminal yourself, but need assistance getting around inside
Special Assistance Receptions just before security in each terminal if you need assistance getting through security
Special Assistance Receptions in the Departure Lounge if you need assistance boarding the aircraft

Specific advice

We appreciate that travelling to an airport can sometimes be an overwhelming experience for those with special requirements and limited mobility, which is why we have detailed some additional areas of support in the accordion drop-down sections below.

Getting to and from London Gatwick

Drop-off and pick-up

Both terminals have drop-off points for passengers. There is usually a charge to use these. Blue Badge holders may use the drop-off points for free if you register your or your taxi’s number plate in advance.

Reception areas for Special Assistance are located in the drop-off zones in both terminals. Here you can get help into the terminal and through check-in, if needed. If the desk is not staffed, there will be a telephone to speak to a member of staff and arrange assistance. Otherwise, you are free to make your own way into the terminal and request assistance later in your journey.

Blue Badge holders can be picked up from the drop-off zones. To keep traffic moving freely, please arrange for your vehicle to pick you up only once you reach the Special Assistance reception area.

We recommend all passengers make use of the car parks for pick up, as this can take longer than drop-off.

Short and Long-Stay Parking

We have Blue Badge spaces across all our car parks and can support you with assistance getting to and from the terminal using any of the dedicated help points if required.