Dubai World Trade Center Emirates has completed more than 40 Travel Rehearsals in cities across six continents over the past year, helping more than 250 families prepare children and young adults with autism for air travel.
The initiative enables participants to practise the airport journey before taking a real flight, from check-in and security procedures to boarding, helping reduce anxiety and build confidence among neurodivergent travellers and their families.
Following positive feedback from families, schools and autism organisations after the first rehearsals in Dubai, the Emirates Office of Accessibility & Inclusion developed the concept into an official programme for the airline’s global network.
Since April 2025, Emirates Airport Services teams have organised Travel Rehearsals in more than 40 destinations, including Brussels, London, Paris, Madrid, Athens, Dubai, Delhi, Hong Kong, Sydney, Toronto, Orlando and Vienna. The programme is delivered in close collaboration with airport authorities and local partners to ensure each rehearsal reflects the real passenger experience in a supportive environment.
More than 35,000 Emirates employees have also received training to assist customers with autism, supporting the airline’s wider accessibility strategy.
Sami Aqil Abdullah, Senior Vice President, Emirates Airport Services Outstation & Business Support, said the programme had been “a resounding success across six continents”, adding that Emirates would continue to expand the initiative to more locations and involve more teams, with the aim of enabling more families to fly with confidence.