CLARK, Pampanga — For many families with neurodiverse children, the most challenging part of air travel begins long before boarding a plane. Unfamiliar procedures, crowded terminals, loud announcements and multiple security checks can make airports an overwhelming environment.
Recognizing these challenges, Emirates has brought its Travel Rehearsal program to Clark International Airport, allowing neurodiverse children and their families to experience the entire airport journey before an actual flight.
The initiative aims to familiarize children with each stage of airport procedures while equipping parents and caregivers with a better understanding of what to expect during air travel. By reducing uncertainty, the program seeks to make flying a more accessible and less stressful experience for families.
Twenty-two students from Hand Prints School of Progressive Education and Beyond Play Learning Center participated in the three-hour activity, accompanied by their parents, guardians and eight teachers.
Participants completed a guided walkthrough that mirrored an actual airport experience—from airline check-in and immigration to security screening, navigating the departure concourse and a simulated boarding process at the departure gate. Airport personnel and Emirates representatives explained each procedure, answered questions from families and introduced participants to the frontline staff they would typically encounter on travel day.
Rather than serving as a travel simulation alone, the rehearsal focused on preparing children for the routines and sensory experiences associated with airports. Organizers said familiarity with these processes can help reduce anxiety and build confidence, particularly among children who may find new environments and changing routines difficult to navigate.
The initiative also gives parents an opportunity to identify potential challenges ahead of time and better prepare their children for future trips, making family travel more attainable.
“Making travel more inclusive starts long before a customer boards a flight,” Khalid Al Zarooni, Emirates’ country manager for the Philippines, tells FrontpagePH.
“It means recognizing that every traveler experiences the airport differently and working with our partners to make travel more accessible. We’re pleased to bring the Travel Rehearsal program to Clark and hope it encourages more families to see travel as something they can enjoy together,” he added.
The Clark event marks the second Travel Rehearsal conducted by Emirates in the Philippines following a similar activity in Cebu in June, reflecting the airline’s broader effort to improve accessibility for passengers with neurodiverse conditions.
The program was organized in collaboration with Clark International Airport, border control authorities, the Office for Transportation Security, airport customer service teams and Emirates’ ground handling partner, all of whom worked together to provide participants with an end-to-end airport experience.
Emirates said the initiative complements its wider accessibility efforts after becoming the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline in 2025. More than 35,000 cabin crew members and ground employees have undergone specialized autism awareness training designed to help them better understand sensory sensitivities and provide appropriate assistance to travelers with accessible travel needs.
Since April 2025, the airline has conducted more than 40 Travel Rehearsals across airports in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Americas, as well as at its Dubai hub, as it continues to expand programs that promote more inclusive air travel.