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British Airways has become the first airline in the UK to be awarded the renowned Autism Friendly Award from the National Autistic Society.
The announcement was made on World Autism Awareness Day in April and commended its policy of raising awareness of autism among its staff and for creating personalised travel experiences for autistic customers.
This year marks the airline’s 100th anniversary and as such they have been working with a number of charities, including the NAS, making it their mission to improve the experience of all customers that require additional assistance, including those with autism and hidden disabilities. Earlier this year, British Airways launched their ‘Beyond Accessibility’ campaign, its biggest ever global accessibility training programme which works to empower staff to support customers that need extra assistance. As well as this, the airline operates the Sunflower hidden disability lanyard, which is a subtle way for customers to alert staff that they have a hidden disability and might need extra help.
Speaking to reporters, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said: “I am really proud that British Airways has been recognised as the first autism-friendly airline in the UK. We welcome nearly half a million customers who require special assistance each year and we’ll be prioritising further improvements for these customers throughout our centenary year.
“This includes a new, specialist team in our customer contact centres, accessible information on ba.com and further training for colleagues. We also understand that our customers with autism often find new environments stressful and overwhelming and that’s why we’re creating a step-by-step guide of the British Airways journey experience, which I’m looking forward to sharing with customers very soon.”
