Gatwick (LGW) wheelchair accessibility

North Terminal is the larger of the two and is the base for easyJet, the largest carrier at Gatwick by passenger volume. British Airways short-haul, Tui, Norwegian, and a number of other European carriers also operate from North. The terminal is a single linear building; check-in is on the main concourse level, security is in the centre, and gates run along piers to the north and east. PRM staff escort wheelchair users from the assistance reception through the level walkways at every step of the route.

South Terminal is the base for British Airways long-haul, Virgin Atlantic, Norse Atlantic, Wizz Air, Emirates, Vueling, and a range of long-haul and European carriers. The South Terminal rail station (Gatwick Airport rail station) sits directly under the terminal, with step-free lifts to the check-in concourse. The terminal has two satellite piers (Pier 1 and Pier 2) reached by step-free walkways from the central security area.

The two terminals are connected by an inter-terminal monorail that runs every 3 to 5 minutes throughout the day. The monorail is fully step-free; the journey takes around 3 minutes. Wheelchair spaces are at the end of each carriage with priority seating and securing rails. Use the monorail rather than walking between terminals (the walking route is around 1 km and is not as convenient).

Book PRM assistance through your airline when you make the reservation, then again at check-in. The 48-hour pre-booking deadline is in the EU PRM assistance rules retained in UK law and the UK CAA PRM Code of Practice. Walk-up assistance is offered when capacity allows but is not guaranteed at peak times (early morning short-haul departures and late evening long-haul arrivals are the most pressured windows).

Specify the level of assistance you need using the IATA service codes: WCHR (can climb stairs, needs wheelchair to and from aircraft), WCHS (cannot climb stairs, needs wheelchair through the terminal and aisle chair to seat), WCHC (cannot self-mobilise, needs full transfer to and from seat). The airline relays the code to Gatwick's assistance team, who arranges the right equipment.

If you are travelling with your own wheelchair, declare it as mobility equipment at booking. It travels free as mobility equipment in addition to your standard baggage allowance. Declare battery type for power chairs (lithium-ion, lithium polymer, or lead-acid) so the airline can confirm dangerous-goods handling.

Disembark first or last (the cabin crew will tell you which). A Gatwick assistance team member meets you at the aircraft door with the equipment you booked. They escort you through immigration (priority queues are available at most desks), to baggage reclaim, and then to your chosen onward transport: the rail station, the taxi rank, or the kerbside meeting point for a private transfer.

If your assistance does not arrive within 10 to 15 minutes of disembarkation, ask cabin crew to call the assistance team. If you are already in the terminal and the escort has not appeared, find the nearest assistance reception or use the dedicated intercom panel and request the assistance referenced by your booking code.

Plan an extra 30 to 60 minutes for the assisted route compared with the standard arrivals walk. Long-haul early-morning arrivals at South Terminal are the busiest window, especially the British Airways and Virgin Atlantic banks. North Terminal arrivals are generally smoother because easyJet runs a more standardised disembarkation pattern.

Identify yourself at the assistance reception in your terminal as early as possible after you arrive at the airport. The reception in the North Terminal is in the main check-in concourse near the priority counters; the reception in the South Terminal is in the same position. Staff escort you through check-in, security, and passport control, with priority queues at each step.

At the gate, your own wheelchair is tagged and either gate-checked (loaded into the hold and returned to you at the aircraft door on arrival) or stored in the cabin if it folds and the airline has space. You transfer to the airline's onboard chair or are wheeled to the seat in your own chair, depending on aircraft type and your booked code (WCHR / WCHS / WCHC).

Allow at least 3 hours before a long-haul flight and 2 hours before a short-haul flight, on top of the airline's standard recommendation. The escort process adds queue time even with priority access, especially during peak departure waves.

Accessible toilets are signed at every concourse, before and after security, in both terminals. The standard layout follows UK regulations: door clear width 90 cm, grab bars, transfer space, and an emergency call cord.

A Changing Places facility (an enlarged accessible toilet with an adult-sized changing bench and a ceiling hoist) is located in the North Terminal landside and in the South Terminal landside. The Changing Places national directory at changingplaces.org lists the exact locations and opening hours. Additional accessible toilets are available airside at every pier.

Free wheelchair loans are available at every assistance reception. Stock includes manual airport wheelchairs and folding chairs; power chairs are not loaned because of battery and charging-station constraints. Request the loan when you book PRM through your airline, or ask at the reception on arrival.

The two Gatwick terminals are connected by a free inter-terminal monorail that runs from a station directly above the South Terminal departures concourse to a station directly above the North Terminal departures concourse. Trains run every 3 to 5 minutes during the day, less frequently overnight. The journey takes around 3 minutes.

The monorail is fully step-free at both ends; wheelchair spaces are at the end of each carriage with priority seating and securing rails. The Gatwick Airport rail station is directly beneath the South Terminal, so passengers arriving at the rail station and connecting to a North Terminal flight take the monorail from South to North; passengers arriving at North Terminal and travelling out by rail take the monorail from North to South to reach the rail station.

Gatwick Express is the premium non-stop service from Gatwick Airport rail station (beneath the South Terminal) to London Victoria in around 30 minutes, every 15 minutes during the day. The published headline journey time is 30 minutes; off-peak services may be slightly faster, peak services slightly slower.

Every Gatwick Express train and every platform is step-free; standard wheelchair spaces are in every carriage. At Victoria, the Gatwick Express platforms are on the eastern side of the concourse; lifts connect to the main station concourse and to the London Underground (the Victoria, Circle, and District lines all serve Victoria, with step-free access to specific platforms only).

Passengers from the North Terminal take the inter-terminal monorail to the South Terminal first, then descend by lift to the rail station. Total transfer time from North Terminal arrivals to a Gatwick Express train is around 15 to 20 minutes including the monorail and the station approach.

Thameslink runs direct services from Gatwick to St Pancras International, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars, and London Bridge, continuing north to Luton and Bedford, every 15 to 30 minutes during the day. The journey to London Bridge takes around 45 minutes; to St Pancras around 55 to 60 minutes. Thameslink is the preferred option for passengers connecting to the Eurostar (St Pancras), the City, or for onward travel to Luton, Bedford, or Brighton.

The newer Class 700 units have step-free boarding from the platform to the train, with no manual ramp needed; wheelchair spaces are at both ends of every carriage. On older units that still operate occasional services, station staff deploy a manual ramp on request when notified by the originating station. Ask at the assistance reception when you book your journey, or speak to platform staff on the day.

Tickets are sold at the airport-station ticket machines and at the staffed ticket office. Use contactless on the gate readers for fastest entry. The fare to St Pancras International is the same as the standard Southern / Thameslink off-peak return.

Black cabs (legally wheelchair-accessible: rear-loading ramp at the kerbside door, internal wheelchair space) operate from a rank at each Gatwick terminal arrivals exit. Fares are metered by distance and time. Black-cab drivers of designated wheelchair-accessible vehicles are legally required under the Equality Act 2010 to carry the passenger while in the wheelchair, to deploy the ramp, and to do so without an extra fee.

Pre-booked wheelchair-accessible minicab operators also serve Gatwick. Pre-booking at least 24 hours ahead is recommended for evening arrivals (the late-evening arrivals bank from long-haul is the busiest taxi window). The driver meets you at the standard private-hire pickup area; the assistance team can escort you from the terminal exit to the pickup if you request it at booking.

A fixed-fare option through one of the major operators is also possible. The fare is metered by distance and time; there is no fixed airport tariff for black cabs in London.

Service dogs travel free in the cabin on every airline serving Gatwick, in compliance with the airline's standard service-animal terms and the IATA service-animal rules. Bring the UK Animal Health Certificate (post-Brexit replacement for the EU Pet Passport for UK-origin pets), the rabies vaccination certificate, and the airline's own service-animal form. The dog stays at your feet during the flight.

Gatwick has dedicated dog-relief areas in both terminals, signed from the gates after security. The areas have artificial grass surfaces, water bowls, and waste-disposal bags.

Your wheelchair travels free as mobility equipment in addition to your standard baggage allowance. Manual chairs go in the hold and are returned to you at the aircraft door on arrival. Folding power chairs may be cabin-loaded if the cabin space allows on the specific aircraft type; non-folding power chairs go in the hold. Lithium-ion and lithium polymer batteries are accepted on most carriers within the airline's published battery limit; declare the battery type at booking and again at check-in. Lead-acid batteries (older power chairs) require dangerous-goods packaging and should be declared 72 hours ahead.

Save the Gatwick assistance contact details on your phone before you travel. The number is published on the Gatwick accessibility microsite and is the fastest line into the airport's PRM dispatch if your airline-arranged escort fails to materialise on arrival or at the gate.

Take a photo of your wheelchair at the gate before it is loaded. If anything is damaged in transit (the airline is liable under the EU PRM assistance rules retained in UK law and the UK CAA enforces the rule), the photo is your evidence. File a damage report at the assistance reception on arrival before you leave the airport.

If you are connecting between Gatwick terminals on a same-airport transfer (rare, but it happens with codeshare partner airlines), allow at least 90 minutes between the scheduled arrival time and the connecting flight's gate-close time. The inter-terminal monorail is fast but the assistance walk plus check-in plus security at the connecting terminal adds time.

If your onward transfer is by Gatwick Express to Victoria and you are arriving at North Terminal, plan the monorail-to-train transition: it adds around 15 to 20 minutes on top of the headline 30-minute Express journey, so the door-to-door time from North Terminal arrivals to Victoria is closer to 60 to 75 minutes.