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Now more than ever, the busy nature of modern air travel can make for an overwhelming environment, especially for neurodivergent passengers. However, various airlines around the world are implementing initiatives to ease the pressure on travelers on the autism spectrum, with Dubai-based 
Emirates arguably being at the forefront of this movement. Indeed, the UAE flag carrier is the world’s first officially autism certified airline.
To date, the revered Middle Eastern carrier has trained tens of thousands of its members of staff to help autistic passengers deal with the challenges that might arise while at the airport or on a flight, while also hosting ‘Travel Rehearsals’ in cities located all around the world. The latest of these took place earlier this week at Denpasar International Airport (DPS) on the Indonesian island of Bali, where Emirates flies 13 times a week.
Another Successful Travel Rehearsal
As detailed in a corresponding statement released earlier today by the Dubai-based UAE flag carrier, the special event took place on Wednesday, February 18, with Emirates welcoming 17 participants to Denpasar International Airport. Eight of these were autistic children, and they were accompanied by teachers and parents. The aim of the day was to guide the children through every stage of the modern air travel journey.
As airports are new and potentially challenging environments for first-time neurodivergent flyers, this experience can help to give them an idea of what to expect when they take their first flights, thus easing the pressure of the situation. The steps covered included check-in, bag drop, security, boarding, arrival procedures, and even an on-board simulation of the inflight experience. Majid Al Falasi, Emirates’ Country Manager for Indonesia, said that:
“Through the efforts of Emirates’ Autism Centre, we were fortunate enough to bring this travel rehearsal to Denpasar and play an active role in enhancing the travel experience for people with accessible travel requirements.“
Part Of A Wider Initiative
Emirates has poured of time and resources into “making air travel more predictable and comfortable for individuals with accessible travel requirements” in its work as the world’s first officially autism certified airline. Its first Travel Rehearsal involved 30 families and took place in 2024 at its hub at 
Dubai International Airport (DXB), and the carrier has since spread its footprint. Indeed, this week also saw such an event take place in Istanbul.
Over 30,000 Emirates employees have now “undergone specialised training” in order “to better understand autism, sensory sensitivities, and appropriate support mechanisms” as part of this initiative. The Travel Rehearsals play a key role in this drive, as they “foster trust between trained Emirates teams and passengers with disabilities.” The carrier’s IFE system also raises neurodiversity awareness through specially curated content.
The training that has been completed by tens of thousands of Emirates employees has seen the carrier’s cabin crew and ground staff learn all about “common misconceptions, challenges faced during travel, and personalized support strategies tailored to individual passenger needs.” Everyone is different, but this “in-depth knowledge of the autism spectrum” better equips Emirates to overcome any challenges that may arise.
How Emirates Is Becoming The 1st ‘Autism Certified Airline’
Emirates said that 30,000 cabin crew and ground staff will complete initial training in the coming months.
Emirates’ Denpasar Operations In A Nutshell
Thus far, Emirates has already hosted Travel Rehearsals in Barcelona, Brisbane, Dubai, Madrid, Manila, and Toronto, and it has now added Denpasar to this growing list. The Indonesian airport is a key Asian destination for the UAE flag carrier, with current scheduling data made available by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, showing that it currently operates 13 flights a week there (twice daily departures except one on Wednesdays).
This amounts to a grand total of 52 rotations in February, and this coverage is split between 47 return flights with the Boeing 777-300ER, four with the Airbus A380-800, and one with the Boeing 777-200LR. Departing Dubai, flights EK368 and EK398 respectively take off at 3:25 am and 9:10 am local time, touching down just over nine hours later at 4:30 pm and 10:20 pm. The return flights are a touch longer, and leave Bali at 12:25 am and 7:50 pm.
