More than 50 children with disabilities rehearse the travel experience

                                                                                            Download b-roll video here

In recognition of World Autism Awareness Day today, Miami International Airport (MIA), Delta Air Lines, and LATAM Airlines hosted the airport’s 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 allowed participants to rehearse the air travel experience from start to finish, all the way to an airplane 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 travelers with disabilities through its award-winning MIAair tour program. With today’s MIAair tour, even more children and their families gained the confidence and comfort they need to experience the joy of air travel without barriers.

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. 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 travelers with disabilities.

Managing Director of Accessibility Programs at Delta Air Lines, Alison Lahtrop

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.

VP North America & Caribbean, LATAM Airlines Group, Cristina De Melo

For more information about MIA’s award-winning MIAair program, visit the MIAair webpage.  

Miami International Airport, America’s busiest airport for international freight and the second busiest for international passengers, is receiving an unprecedented investment of $12 billion in capital improvements and maintenance upgrades. MIA offers more flights to Latin America and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport and is also the leading economic engine for Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida, generating $181 billion in business revenue and approximately 60 percent of all international visitors to Florida annually.

To request materials in accessible format, Sign Language Interpreters, CART services, and/or any accommodation to participate in any Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) public meetings and events, please email the ADA Office at ADAcoordinator@miami-airport.com or call the office at 305-869-1859 five days in advance to initiate your request. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service).