For many parents, the thought of travelling with autistic children is daunting, especially international air travel which is highly challenging, or something completely avoided, due to the high level of sensory stimuli.

A survey on AutismTravel.com revealed that 78% of families are hesitant to travel or visit new locations, and that 94% of respondents would take more vacations if they had access to places where staff are autism-trained and certified.

With the growing number of autistic children globally, one airline has heeded the call to help travelers cope with these challenges.

By collaborating with International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), Emirates airline is the first airline that has undertaken to train more than 30,000 staff members on how to make travel more inclusive and accessible for autistic travelers by sensory-awareness training, making them an Autism Certified Airline™.

IBCCES is an international organization in autism and neurodiversity training and certification. They train staff from across all service industries on how to deal with individuals with autism.

What is the Autism Certified Airline™ designation (ACA)?

As part of a vast research endeavour, IBCCES surveyed more than 14,000 people with a variety of disabilities, including people with autism, those with sensory sensitivities and their families and caregivers.

The survey data was collated alongside numerous interviews, an International Air Transport Association (IATA) industry survey, and feedback from 1,200 industry professionals - helping develop the most beneficial standards for both passengers and airline staff.

In addition to the feedback collated, IBCCES experts also conducted several flight audits on both long and short haul routes.

Using a data-driven approach, Emirates and IBCCES partnered to create a new blueprint for serving passengers with accessibility requirements, encompassing the entire journey – from ground services to in-flight services, and Emirates will lead the way in bringing these new standards into practice in aviation for the first time.

The certification process will includes ensure that at least 80% of customer-facing staff complete the dedicated training, alongside a commitment to ongoing training and improvements.

As part of the designation, ground staff and cabin crew will undertake a new, focused training on autism and sensory awareness to equip them with the understanding and skills to address needs of travelers with autism and sensory sensitivities, along with their families.

The training serves to educate the staff on the spectrum of autism, misconceptions and challenges faced, the myriad ways to assist customers dependent on their individual needs, and potential stimulus and triggers that staff should be aware of.

The new training builds on the foundations established by the Emirates "Introduction to Autism and Hidden Disabilities" training, which was completed by 23,000 staff in 2023.

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