Heathrow is aiming to be the world’s first dementia-friendly airport by training staff to better understand the disease and providing quiet lounges in terminals.

The airport is working with the Alzheimer’s Society to try and change attitudes towards dementia, which affects more than 47 million people worldwide, a figure set to grow to 135 million by 2050.

Heathrow has pledged to make all 76,000 people who work at the airport dementia-aware through training sessions and online resources in a bid to make people with dementia feel understood and included.

Security is a particular area of focus, with training developed to help security guards reduce anxiety and increase support for passengers with dementia.

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: “Airports can be particularly stressful for passengers with dementia so we are delighted to be working with the Department of Health and Alzheimer’s Society to make sure that they get the support they need.”

Alzheimer’s Society CEO Jeremy Hughes hoped that Heathrow’s pioneering work would pave the way for airports all over the world to adapt their air travel experience to better cater for people with dementia and their carers.