TRAVEL | Emirates expands neurodiverse travel program to Clark
The three-hour activity brought together 22 students, their parents or guardians, and eight teachers from Hand Prints School of Progressive Education and Beyond Play Learning Center.
Emirates has expanded its Travel Rehearsal program to Clark International Airport, allowing neurodiverse children and their families to experience airport procedures before taking an actual flight. The initiative is the airline’s second in the Philippines following a similar event in Cebu in June and is part of its broader effort to improve travel accessibility.
The three-hour activity brought together 22 students, their parents or guardians, and eight teachers from Hand Prints School of Progressive Education and Beyond Play Learning Center. Participants completed a guided walkthrough of the passenger journey, including check-in, immigration, security screening, the departure concourse, and a simulated boarding process. Airport personnel and Emirates staff explained each stage and answered questions from families.
The rehearsal is designed to help neurodiverse children become familiar with the sights, sounds, and routines of air travel, which can often be overwhelming. It also provides parents and caregivers with a better understanding of what to expect during future trips.
The program was conducted in collaboration with Clark International Airport, customer service teams, border control authorities, the Office for Transportation Security, and Emirates’ ground handling partner to simulate the end-to-end airport experience.
“Making travel more inclusive starts long before a customer boards a flight. It means recognising that every traveller experiences the airport differently and working with our partners to make travel more accessible. We’re pleased to bring the Travel Rehearsal programme to Clark and hope it encourages more families to see travel as something they can enjoy together,” said Khalid Al Zarooni, Emirates’ country manager for the Philippines.
Emirates said it became the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline in 2025 after more than 35,000 cabin crew and ground staff completed specialized autism awareness training covering autism, sensory sensitivities, and accessible travel support. Since April 2025, the airline has conducted more than 40 Travel Rehearsal programs at airports across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia, the Americas, and Dubai, with Clark becoming the latest location to join the initiative.
Emirates has served the Philippines since 1990 and currently operates 32 weekly flights from Manila, Cebu, and Clark. Through its partnership with Philippine Airlines, the airline also offers connections to 15 domestic destinations beyond its own network.
Full disclosure: All news articles published on the TechSabado website are written by human journalists, unless otherwise specified. Final text editing is partially assisted by artificial intelligence (AI).
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