Newcastle International Airport - Hidden Disability Service

Airports can be busy environments and we understand that for those people who are travelling with hidden disabilities this can make going on holiday a stressful experience. We want to ensure that everybody’s journey through Newcastle Airport is as smooth as possible, so we have put together some helpful tips and detailed the services available to you.

A hidden disabilities lanyard is now available for our customers who need a little more time or assistance whilst travelling through the terminal. The lanyard discretely lets us know that someone might need additional support getting through our airport. This could mean giving them more time to prepare at check-in, security, allowing them to remain with their family at all times, or giving them a more comprehensive briefing on what to expect as they travel through the airport. The lanyard is becoming the popular standard across UK airports which allow our customers requiring extra assistance to use the same system across the country.

The Lanyards are available free of charge from the Airport Duty Managers desk or from the Passenger Assistance desk on the main terminal concourse.

Passengers with Autism

Airports can be busy environments and we understand that for those families who are travelling with children with autism this can make going on holiday a stressful experience. We want to ensure that everybody’s journey through Newcastle Airport is as smooth as possible, so we have put in place a number of measures to help those passengers with autism.

We know that queuing can be problematic for people with autism, so those families will be given access to the security Fast Track facility. To use Fast Track please download our Autism Passport, complete it and bring it with you on the day of travel. Once you have arrived at the airport and checked in for your flight make your way to the PRM assistance desk (located in between check in desk 32 and WHSmith) and a member of staff will validate the Autism Passport. You must then show the Autism Passport to staff at the security boarding card check point. As the airport does not manage queues at check in it will be at the discretion of the airline handling agents as to whether you can avoid the queues, however queue times at check in are usually minimal.

Once through security there are quieter areas which passengers with autism and their families may use. These include a dedicated PRM assistance area located behind our Dixons Travel store, as well as an assistance gate. If you’re struggling to find these please don’t hesitate to ask a member of staff.

We are also able to offer assistance when it comes to boarding the aircraft. If you require any support please specify on the Autism Passport.

To help make the airport journey easier for those travellers with autism we have also worked alongside the North East Austism Society to produce booklets for our passengers.

Sensory Areas

The custom-designed area is available for departing passengers with hidden disabilities such as dementia, autism, sensory issues and mental health disorders to use when the experience of travelling through the airport becomes overwhelming.

It is not necessary to book to use the facility. However, we do ask that passengers respect other users and allow the space to be used as the calming, de-escalation area it is intended to be.
Passengers should approach the Special Assistance desk on the main concourse, or staff in gate 19 Assistance Area to be directed to the Sensory Area, located airside.