Travel Rehearsal debuts at Fiumicino
Making travel truly accessible, breaking down the "invisible barriers" that often prevent autistic people or people with sensory sensitivity from flying. With this objective, Emirates and Aeroporti di Roma organized a "Travel Rehearsal" at Rome Fiumicino Airport, involving 12 young participants and 16 caregivers in a complete simulation of the airport experience.
The initiative, carried out in collaboration with ANGSA Lazio APS, allowed participants to familiarise themselves with the check-in, security and boarding procedures, experiencing every step of the journey as if on a real journey.
Fiumicino strategic hub for inclusion in Europe
The Rome stop is part of a global strategy launched by Emirates at its hub in Dubai and subsequently extended to other international airports. The launch in Italy represents a significant step in Europe, also in light of Fiumicino's positioning as one of the continent's main hubs, awarded in recent years for the quality of services.
According to the data cited in the press release, more than 100 million people worldwide are autistic and/or have sensory sensitivities, and 78% give up traveling for fear of unknown environments. Travel Rehearsal was created precisely to reduce anxiety and stress through a micro-experiential approach that allows you to anticipate every phase of the journey.
Inclusion as an airport development strategy
The initiative is not limited to simulation for passengers, but involves the entire airport community through specific staff training and a rethinking of the travel experience in an inclusive way.
For Aeroporti di Roma, inclusion is not an isolated project but a guiding principle in the development strategy, with investments aimed at ensuring an increasingly accessible experience designed around people.
Emirates, which operates one of the most modern fleets in the world, thus reinforces its commitment to an air transport model in which sustainability and inclusiveness go hand in hand, consolidating Fiumicino's role as a reference hub for accessibility in Europe.
