Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme Launched at City of Derry Airport

City of Derry Airport has introduced the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme as an aid to any passengers or visitors to the airport with a disability or impairment this is not visible. As the first NI airport to launch this customer service initiative, Sunflower lanyards are now readily available at key customer points to allow anyone who would like to provide a subtle but visible sign to staff and other passengers that they may require some extra time or assistance during their airport journey.

Steve Frazer, Managing Director at City of Derry Airport, expressed his delight: “It’s fantastic that we now offer this service at City of Derry Airport. The Hidden Disability Sunflower lanyard was first launched at London Gatwick Airport in 2016 and we are proud to be the first NI airport to introduce the scheme as it’s now starting to be recognised globally, having been adopted by many UK and international airports, as well as the NHS, and a number of supermarkets, railway stations, leisure facilities, and an increasing number of small and large businesses and organisations.”

To date, the Sunflower team has supplied over one million lanyards both to businesses as well as directly to the general public. With this increased awareness, Sunflower Lanyard wearers benefit more widely from help being offered to make their daily living a little easier.

The dedication to customer service excellence is evident at City of Derry Airport as Mr. Frazer added: “Our team have undertaken training to better understand the broad ranging spectrum of hidden disabilities and how we can provide assistance specific to each person’s individual needs.

“This new initiative is in addition to the provision of our pre-familiarisation visits, and our special passports and activity books developed for passengers with Autism, following our team receiving an Impact Award for training previously undertaken with Autism NI.”

As regular Ryanair services from City of Derry Airport to Edinburgh and Liverpool and Loganair services to London Stansted and Glasgow now back in operation, there are a number of new health and safety precautions in place at the airport to ensure a safe, friendly and convenient travel experience, and as always, staff are available at all times to assist passengers through the airport journey.

Further information is available on the Hidden Disabilities website.