DUBAI, UAE, 22 April 2026: Emirates has continued its commitment to making travel more accessible for all by successfully arranging bespoke Emirates Travel Rehearsals across more than 40 cities globally over the past year.
With more than 250 families positively impacted, Emirates Travel Rehearsals are designed to support children and young adults with autism by allowing them to practice the journey through the airport to prepare for real flights — easing travel anxiety and empowering them to fly with greater confidence.
After the initial Emirates Travel Rehearsals in Dubai received positive feedback from families, schools and autism organisations, the Emirates Office of Accessibility & Inclusion developed the travel rehearsal into an official programme to be rolled out across its global network.
Since April 2025, Emirates’ Airport Services teams have come together to arrange more than 40 of these travel rehearsals across airports like Accra, Athens, Bali, Bangalore, Barcelona, Bologna, Brussels, Cairo, Christchurch, Da Nang, Delhi, Dubai, Dublin, Durban, Düsseldorf, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Harare, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Luanda, Madrid, Mauritius, Milan, Newcastle, Nice, Orlando, Oslo, Paris, Peshawar, Port Luis, Rome, Stansted, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, Trivandrum, Venice and Vienna.
More than 35,000 Emirates staff have been trained to support customers with autism and can help facilitate travel and Travel Rehearsals. Emirates teams work very closely with airport authorities and partners to make sure each rehearsal is a supportive and successful experience for the families.
Emirates Airport Services Outstation & Business Support Senior Vice President, Sami Aqil Abdullah commented: “The Emirates Travel Rehearsal programme has been a resounding success across six continents, with impressive collaboration and drive shown by all stakeholders, from our own Emirates teams to our airport partners, and the parents and teachers who trusted us to support their children. We will continue to amplify this success with more locations, more teams involved, and more families positively impacted and empowered to fly with confidence.”
What is an Emirates Travel Rehearsal?
As the world’s first autism certified airline, Emirates is aware that for many families, international air travel is a highly challenging experience, or something to be avoided completely due to the high level of sensory stimuli that is involved. A survey on AutismTravel.com revealed that 78% of families are hesitant to travel or visit new locations for these reasons. For many people with autism, planning and predictability are critical – and an airport represents a world of unknown processes and stimuli.
Emirates Travel Rehearsals are a purposeful community collaboration and learning exercise arranged by Emirates, with the support of international airport teams, Border Control and Security teams, and schools and centres for autism across the world. The travel rehearsals empower neurodivergent people to participate in a real-time journey through the airport, practising the actions of checking in, dropping baggage, going through immigration and security, and experiencing the hustle and bustle of retail and dining areas. While familiarising themselves with the airport, participants are also issued mock boarding passes and given the chance to meet the many uniformed staff encountered along the way. In some airports, Emirates’ teams managed to arrange access to real aircraft for the children and young adults.
Positive feedback from participants
Now on an international level, parents, therapists, teachers, young adults, and children involved in the travel rehearsals so far have reported to Emirates that the experience has been invaluable in helping them have a safe and successful flight, by offering the comfort of preparation and familiarity, as well as trained staff to support.
Emirates will continue to arrange Travel Rehearsals across its global network throughout 2026, inviting more schools and centres to participate.
For more information on flights and to book, visit www.emirates.com.
