Emirates meets customers’ accessibility requirements through a range of new services | News
To enable customers to fly with confidence, Emirates unveiled a range of new services and products for people with disabilities at the 7th edition of AccessAbilities Expo at Dubai World Trade Centre. Emirates’ latest services and enhanced offerings include a new accessible and inclusive travel hub available on emirates.com for global customers – providing a wealth of information for travelers with different accessibility needs and allowing them to plan their trip based on specific needs. Emirates also unveiled new in-flight sensory products and fidget toys for children and adults, and a range of process improvements throughout the in-flight experience, as well as enhanced on-ground features in central Dubai, and several innovative and forward-looking ideas currently in development.
Emirates’ latest services and enhancements for customers with accessibility requirements
New ‘Accessible and Inclusive Travel Hub’ on Emirates.com
Emirates’ new Accessible and Inclusive Travel Hub on the flagship Emirates.com is designed to contain all the information needed for accessible and inclusive travel, with accessibility-friendly navigation that allows customers to easily find information and discover the many ways Emirates can provide travel assistance and support. Emirates’ accessible and inclusive travel hub will continue to evolve and grow to meet customer needs.
With the aim of reducing pre-travel anxiety, the Available & Inclusive Travel Hub spent a year in development, resulting in a design with a seamless visual style and thoughtful and easy-to-use navigation options. To deliver consistent, inclusive experiences, the website is built on a token-based architecture to enable seamless updates and simplified customizations. Even the color palette is rigorously tested for contrast compliance to support brightness and readability, and designs are tested with assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice control and keyboard navigation.
Customers can choose to view and explore sections by disability; including mobility assistance, visual impairment, hearing impairment and hidden disabilities. If desired, customers can search by looking at specific parts of the journey, which are clearly arranged: before your flight, departing Dubai, boarding your flight, connecting in Dubai and arriving in Dubai. A third option allows customers to search by specific needs, including Book Special Assistance, Prepare Trip with the Autism Friendly Guide, Explore Dubai Airport (DXB) Map and Sensory Guides, Find Emirates Support on the Be My Eyes Support App for People with Visual Impairments, Apply for a Sanad Tourist Card to access useful services in Dubai, and more.
There are also special sections on Traveling with a wheelchair and mobility aids, and detailed information on Medical Travel – Applying for a Frequent Traveler Medical Card (FREMEC) for customers who have medical conditions or are traveling with medicines and medical aids. The new accessible and inclusive travel hub also features a family travel section with clear information on traveling with children, traveling during pregnancy and traveling with unaccompanied minors.
The Emirates Access & Inclusive Travel Hub has been smartly designed so that it can be updated seamlessly and quickly with new information and improvements as the requirements for accessible travel continue to evolve. In the design and construction of the hub, Emirates used inclusive research methods, including involving a wide range of users, including people with disabilities, in the usability studies.
New sensory products and fidget toys available on board
Emirates has designed a range of sensory products and fidget toys for customers of all ages, which will be available on board across all travel classes from November 1, 2025. Sensory products and fidget toys are widely recognized for their ability to provide controlled stimulation to neurodivergent minds, allowing an overstimulated system to calm and rebalance. To support customers in this situation, Emirates has designed an aircraft-style tactile stress reliever, two types of fidget cubes and a branded rubber popper. The items will be given to neurodiverse passengers, anyone struggling on board, and even nervous flyers if necessary.
New mattress in Business Class to increase comfort and minimize disruptions
In Business Class, Emirates has introduced a new product and process improvement that will have a positive impact on customers with accessibility requirements: a new ‘mattress top’. This is an extension of Emirates’ existing mattress for customers looking to relax or sleep in Business Class – with the new mattress now having a built-in ‘cap’ that secures the mattress more securely to the seat – similar to a fitted sheet. Because the mattress is now more firmly on the seat, it no longer needs to be collected by the cabin crew before landing. For passengers with severe mobility problems who prefer not to be moved mid-flight, this will be a significant improvement in on-board comfort. Emirates’ new mattress cover has been exceptionally approved from a safety perspective for take-off and landing.
New accessibility features for inflight entertainment – ice cream
Emirates is committed to setting industry standards and accessibility for people with disabilities and now offers more than 600 closed caption films and 200 audio description films, bringing accessibility to customers with visual impairments. Emirates headphones are also compatible with hearing aids when in the ‘T’ position. To ease anxiety or promote relaxation, there are 12 channels of Wellbeing TV and 31 channels of Happiness and Wellbeing podcasts and playlists, including meditations and soothing sounds.
On board Emirates’ newest aircraft, the Airbus A350-900, a new user interface on ice has been designed in collaboration with Thales and advocacy groups for customers with visual impairments, to ensure all customers have an intuitive, high-quality inflight entertainment experience. This provides best practice experiences for customers who are blind or visually impaired, including audio cue navigation assistance, spoken metadata feedback, touch and swipe gesture support and showcases the large selection of audio descriptive (AD) content available on ice.
Improved barrier-free access and biometrics in Dubai
At Emirates’ hub Terminal 3, Dubai International (DXB), a smart corridor features a barrier-free design and biometrics that enable smooth, independent movement for passengers with disabilities. The area now has flexible camera coverage, meaning the cameras can adjust themselves to heights and angles without restricting or dictating the movement of individuals if they are in a wheelchair or have mobility issues.
Emirates’ self-service kiosks have also been enhanced, with text-to-speech functionality, improved touchscreen usability, Braille and tactile features, headphone jack for mobility and vision issues, and the ability to self-adjust to the customer’s height.
Emirates accessible driver service
Emirates also has a newly upgraded Emirates branded wheelchair accessible vehicle, which is now the prototype for a planned fleet of 10 vehicles to be introduced in early 2026. The Chauffeur Drive vehicle is a Mercedes V250 Van with an electric wheelchair lift and ramp. The lift is a powered device designed to extend and lower to ground level, allowing the customer and their wheelchair to be lifted safely and seamlessly into the vehicle. Once inside, the additional safety features protect the customer who may have a serious mobility disability. Emirates drivers are currently being trained in mobility assistance and supporting customers with disabilities. Currently, the wheelchair-accessible vehicle is used for First and Business Class customers using chauffeur services in Dubai, with plans to expand its availability in the future.
Research and Innovation – Accessible Travel Initiatives
At Emirates, teams of innovation experts are dedicated to developing solutions to issues such as accessibility. The team has already produced several prototypes designed to help Emirates customers with accessibility requirements. One of the innovations that Emirates is investigating is a collaboration with Airbus to make the cabin more accessible. Using a unique technology provider, the concept will enable independent travel for passengers who are blind or partially sighted, using discreetly placed QR codes that can link to the customer’s phone and provide an audio description of the cabin and haptics to locate essential functions such as rows of seats, toilets, emergency exits and even digital menus.
Emirates’ focus on accessible travel
Promoting change
Emirates champions change in the aviation industry, with the aim of making travel more accessible and inclusive for all. As part of its efforts to drive change, Emirates established a dedicated Office of Accessibility and Inclusion and became the world’s first autism-certified airline in March 2025. Emirates has trained more than 35,000 employees to support customers with autism and has introduced the ‘Travel Rehearsal’ initiative in 17 countries to date, allowing customers to practice the nuances of the airport experience before traveling.
Designing for dignity
Emirates is committed to designing new policies, processes and products with a focus on the dignity of customers with accessibility requirements. To enable all customers to fly with confidence, Emirates has introduced new accessibility policies and policies in recent years and implemented new processes in call centers to meet customer demands. Emirates also launched the Accessible and Inclusive Travel Hub on Emirates.com to support the customer experience, and introduced many new products to support accessible travel in collaboration with direct feedback from communities and groups with accessible travel needs.
Promote accessibility
Emirates continues to advance the accessible travel agenda in an evolving space, by doing what is right and responsible step by step and prioritizing innovation. Emirates also works internationally with a range of partners to advance the accessible travel agenda – from regulators to operators, to specific groups and communities, and global customers. Emirates also aims to promote accessibility by standardizing global processes and creating consistency – online, in call centres, at airports and on board.
