Emirates showcases its innovations at AccessAbilities Expo

Emirates Airlines has unveiled a comprehensive suite of new services and product enhancements for travellers with disabilities at the 7th edition of AccessAbilities Expo in Dubai World Trade Centre, reinforcing its commitment to accessible and inclusive travel.

Among the key initiatives is the launch of a new Accessible and Inclusive Travel Hub on emirates.com, designed to serve as a one-stop resource for passengers with diverse accessibility needs.

The platform offers tailored information for mobility, visual, hearing, and hidden disabilities, alongside sections for family and medical travel. It provides easy navigation, clear guidance, and accessibility-friendly features such as screen reader compatibility and adjustable contrast options.

The hub allows customers to plan their journey by disability or stage of travel, covering the full experience from booking to arrival. It also provides tools such as an autism-friendly travel guide, sensory maps of Dubai International Airport, details on wheelchair assistance, and access to Emirates’ support via the Be My Eyes app for people with visual impairments.

From 1st November 2025, Emirates will introduce sensory products and fidget toys onboard to help neurodivergent passengers and nervous flyers manage overstimulation. These include tactile stress relievers, fidget cubes, and aircraft-shaped poppers.

Business Class will feature a new ‘mattress hood’, an enhanced design that securely fits the seat, improving comfort for passengers with limited mobility who prefer not to be moved mid-flight.

The inflight entertainment system, ice, now offers over 600 films with closed captions and 200 with audio description, while Emirates headphones are compatible with hearing aids. Onboard its Airbus A350-900 aircraft, a redesigned interface supports audio cues, voice feedback, and gesture navigation for customers with visual impairments.

At Dubai International Airport (DXB), Terminal 3 now includes a barrier-free smart corridor equipped with adaptive biometrics and enhanced self-service kiosks featuring braille, headphone jacks, and adjustable height screens. Emirates has also introduced a prototype wheelchair-accessible Chauffeur Drive vehicle, with plans to expand the fleet to 10 by early 2026.

Emirates’ innovation teams are developing accessible travel technologies, including a potential collaboration with Airbus to introduce discreet QR codes providing audio and haptic cabin guidance for passengers who are blind or have low vision.

The airline continues to lead industry standards in accessibility, becoming the world’s first Autism Certified Airline in March 2025. Over 35,000 staff members have been trained to assist travellers with autism, supported by initiatives such as Travel Rehearsal, which allows customers to familiarise themselves with airport procedures in advance.

Through its Office of Accessibility and Inclusion, Emirates continues to design travel experiences that uphold dignity and independence for all passengers, setting new benchmarks for inclusive aviation and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global leader in accessible travel.

WAM