By Desmond Nleya
Emirates has unveiled a comprehensive suite of accessibility-focused services and products designed to make air travel more inclusive. The announcement was made at the 7th edition of the AccessAbilities Expo, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The new initiatives highlight the airline’s commitment to empowering passengers with disabilities, ensuring they can travel with greater comfort, confidence, and independence.
A major feature is the launch of the Accessible & Inclusive Travel Hub on emirates.com — a dedicated online platform providing tailored information for travelers with diverse accessibility needs. The hub enables users to navigate services based on disability type or journey stage and includes autism-friendly travel guides, airport sensory maps, and details on medical and mobility assistance.
Starting November 1, Emirates will introduce sensory products and fidget toys onboard to support neurodivergent passengers and nervous flyers. A newly redesigned Business Class mattress with an integrated hood will offer added comfort for travelers with limited mobility.
Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice, now offers over 600 films with closed captions and 200 with audio descriptions. Additionally, a revamped user interface on the Airbus A350-900 has been developed in partnership with accessibility advocates to enhance usability for visually impaired passengers.
At Dubai International Airport Terminal 3, barrier-free smart corridors and improved self-service kiosks with tactile and audio features have been introduced. Emirates has also rolled out a prototype of its accessible Chauffeur Drive vehicle, with plans to expand the fleet by early 2026.
These advancements build on Emirates’ milestone achievement of becoming the world’s first Autism Certified Airline in 2025. With more than 35,000 employees trained in accessibility support, the airline continues to set new standards in inclusive aviation through innovation, empathy, and thoughtful design.
Source: Dubai Media Office
