Summary:
- Miami International Airport hosts MIAair tours for children with disabilities, simulating the full air travel experience in a safe, controlled environment.
- In partnership with Delta Air Lines and LATAM Airlines, participants practice check-in, security, boarding, and inflight procedures to build confidence.
- The initiative promotes inclusive travel, informs airline and airport staff training, and has supported nearly 400 children since its 2015 launch.
Miami International Airport (MIA) – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – has hosted its latest MIA Airport Instruction and Readiness (MIAair) tour for more than 50 children with disabilities from local schools, along with their parents, teachers, and guardians. The tour, in partnership with Delta Air Lines and LATAM Airlines, allowed participants to rehearse the air travel experience from start to finish, all the way to an aircraft seat, in a safe and controlled environment.
“We strive to make Miami-Dade County services as accessible as possible to all of our residents and visitors, which is why I am so proud of MIA’s successful efforts to empower travellers with disabilities through its award-winning MIAair tour program,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava.
The children practiced entering the airport, getting boarding passes, going through security, and boarding a LATAM Airlines plane with the airline’s gate agents and flight crew. The program also served as a learning experience for airline and airport workers at MIA. The goal of the MIAair program is for anyone, regardless of their disability, to experience the magic and wonder of flight. Since launching the MIAair tours in 2015, in partnership with the UM-NSU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), MIA has now hosted tours for nearly 400 children with disabilities.
“Accessibility at Delta means creating a travel experience where every customer feels supported and confident,” said Alison Lahtrop, Managing Director of Accessibility Programs, Delta Air Lines. “The MIAair tour helps children and their families rehearse the journey in a safe environment, while giving our teams valuable insight into how we can continue improving the experience for travellers with disabilities.”
Cristina De Melo, VP North America & Caribbean, LATAM Airlines Group, commented: “We are very pleased to be part of this initiative for the second consecutive year, which allows hundreds of children with invisible disabilities to experience a simulated airplane trip from start to finish. At LATAM, we aim to contribute to a more accessible and inclusive airline industry. In recent years, we have reviewed our procedures to drive concrete actions that improve the travel experience for passengers with both visible and invisible disabilities, and to positively impact the communities in which we operate.”
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