Emirates has completed the rollout of its Travel Rehearsal programme across all eight UK airports it serves, marking a significant expansion of the airline’s accessibility strategy and its commitment to supporting passengers with autism and other accessibility requirements.
The guided rehearsal sessions have now taken place at London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh, with more than 90 participants taking part across the UK.
The Travel Rehearsal programme gives autistic travellers and people with additional accessibility needs the opportunity to practise the full airport journey before travelling. Supported by Emirates and airport staff, participants are guided through check-in, Security, the departure lounge and boarding, before experiencing the arrivals process, including immigration, baggage reclaim and meeting friends and family in arrivals.
The expansion comes as the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s latest Airport Accessibility Report found that 58% of disabled passengers still experience difficulties accessing or using airports and flying, while requests for airport assistance have more than doubled since 2015.
Jabr Al-Azeeby, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President, UK, said: “We are incredibly proud to have now brought this global initiative to every Emirates gateway across the UK, from Scotland down to London. As the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline, we are committed to helping remove some of the invisible barriers that people with accessibility requirements can face when travelling.”
He added that the airline had received positive feedback from families attending the sessions and planned to continue the programme across its UK network.
The initiative follows Emirates becoming the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline, with more than 35,000 cabin crew and ground staff completing specialist autism awareness training. The programme equips employees with a deeper understanding of autism, common challenges passengers may face while travelling and personalised support strategies.
Since April 2025, Emirates has hosted more than 40 Travel Rehearsal sessions for over 250 families across its global network, including airports in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and North America.
