Emirates explores a range of new innovations for customers with accessible travel requirements at AccessAbilities Expo, Dubai 2026

 

Dubai, UAE, 19 Oct 2026: Emirates has officially unveiled its interactive stand at the 8th edition of AccessAbilities Expo - the region’s leading event for accessibility & inclusive innovation, taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from the 19-21 October 2026. The exhibition was officially opened by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group and patron of the AccessAbilities Expo.   The Emirates exhibition revealed several innovative and future-focused ideas currently in development - including a cabin familiarization concept being explored for customers who are blind or have low vision, an accessible lounge suite for customers with reduced mobility, as well as biometric boarding gates for customers with accessible travel requirements.

“Emirates’ ambition is to help shape a more inclusive future for aviation as part of the core customer experience. We are looking beyond individual services and working with our partners to consider accessibility across the complete journey, from planning and the airport environment to the onboard experience and across destinations. Guided by customer insight and lived experience, our focus is on practical improvements that reduce barriers, expand choice, and enable people to travel with greater clarity, confidence, independence, and dignity.” Mostafa Karam, Divisional Senior Vice President of Customer Affairs and Service Audit at Emirates said;

Emirates cabin exploration for low vision   On the stand, Emirates showcased an immersive accessibility-led experience into the onboard journey for passengers who are blind or with low vision. Through a combination of spatial audio, tactile seat exploration and guided host interaction, the activation recreates key moments of the aircraft cabin experience in a calm, premium environment. Visitors are invited to be immersed in an audio-led experience while sitting in a real Emirates A350 aircraft seat with a U-Dream headrest, as the audio describes all aspects of the cabin around them. Rather than focusing solely on technology, the experience highlights how thoughtful design can help passengers build confidence, understand their surroundings, and travel with greater independence, dignity, and ease.   Emirates’ Barrier Free Access and Biometrics in Dubai   On the Emirates stand, visitors can see and experience the Emirates Biometric Path. In Emirates’ hub of Terminal 3, Dubai International (DXB), accessible boarding gates are equipped with a barrier-free design and biometrics that allow for smooth, independent movement for passengers with disabilities. The area now features flexible camera coverage, meaning that the cameras can self-adjust to heights and angles without restricting or dictating person’s movement if they are in a wheelchair. The Emirates self-service check-in kiosks have also been improved, with text-to-speech functionality, improved touchscreen usability, Braille and tactile features, audio accessibility through a headphone connection, and height-adjustable interfaces that support a wider range of passenger needs.   Emirates’ Accessible Lounge Suite   Emirates also showcased a new, dedicated wheelchair-accessible quiet area that offers customers with reduced mobility a comfortable and private space to rest and recharge before their flight. Emirates Lounge Suites provide customers with private space to relax, work, and dine in complete comfort and were first introduced to First Class Lounges in 2024. Drawing on the Emirates ground and inflight experience, they pair premium design with integrated technology - wireless charging and entertainment screens. The Accessible Lounge Suite is the next evolution of this concept. Designed to support passengers who use wheelchairs, passengers with reduced mobility, older travellers, and anyone who may benefit from additional comfort, transfer space or postural support while keeping the privacy and premium quality of the original suite. Finished with the latest Emirates lounge palette of wood, leather and marble finishes, the suite integrates accessibility into the design including a powered lift recliner with uplift, swivel, and recline functions, and integrated grab bars for enhanced support and independence. The lounge suite also has a dedicated wheelchair storage with accessible transfer space, for customers to relax independently or with the support of a companion. The prototype is currently being developed for First Class with the potential for other classes in the future.

The Emirates stand also showcased several products and services that Emirates currently provides to customers including:   Emirates Travel Rehearsals Programme   Emirates Travel Rehearsals are bespoke events arranged by Emirates and airports across the globe that allow enable children and young adults with autism, together with their families and support networks, to practice the journey through the airport to prepare for real flights - easing travel anxiety and empowering them to fly with more confidence. More than 35,000 Emirates staff have been trained to support customers with autism and can help facilitate travel, and Travel Rehearsals. Emirates teams work very closely with airport authorities and partners to make sure each rehearsal is a supportive and successful experience for the families.   Emirates has now completed 80 Emirates Travel Rehearsals across 6 continents, with more than 400 families positively impacted. Travel rehearsals have taken place across airports including: Accra, Amsterdam, Antananarivo, Athens, Bangkok, Barcelona, Bengaluru, Birmingham, Bogotá, Bologna, Brisbane, Brussels, Budapest, Cairo, Cape Town, Cebu, Christchurch, Clark, Colombo, Copenhagen, Da Nang, Dallas Fort Worth, Dar es Salaam, Delhi, Denpasar (Bali), Dubai, Dublin, Durban, Düsseldorf, Edinburgh, Geneva, Glasgow, Guangzhou, Hamburg, Hanoi, Harare, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Houston, Istanbul, Jeddah, Larnaca, Lisbon, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Stansted, Los Angeles, Luanda, Lusaka, Madrid, Malé, Manchester, Melbourne, Miami, Milan, Muscat, Newcastle, Nice, Orlando, Oslo, Paris, Perth, Peshawar, Phuket, Port Louis, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Seattle, Stockholm, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, Toronto, Trivandrum, Valletta, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw and Washington D.C.   The ‘Accessible & Inclusive Travel Hub’ on Emirates.com   Emirates Accessible & Inclusive Travel Hub on the flagship Emirates.com brings together information to help customers understand Emirates’ accessible and inclusive travel services, plan their journey and identify available support. Customers can choose to view and explore sections by disability, including Mobility Assistance, Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment, and Hidden Disabilities. If preferred, customers can search by looking at specific parts of the journey, which have been clearly arranged – Before your flight, Departure from Dubai, Onboard your flight, Connecting in Dubai and Arriving in Dubai. A third option allows customers to browse by specific needs, including Book Special Assistance, Prepare for travel with the autism-friendly guide, Explore Dubai Airport (DXB) Map and Sensory guides, Find Emirates Support on Be My Eyes support app for people who are visually impaired, Apply for a Sanad tourist card to access helpful services in Dubai, and more.   There are also dedicated sections on Travelling with a Wheelchair and Mobility Aids, and detailed information on Medical Travel - including the Frequent Traveller Medical Card (FREMEC) for eligible customers who have stable medical conditions, and guidance on travelling with medications and medical devices. The new Accessible & Inclusive Travel Hub also features a section on Family Travel with clear information on Travelling with Children, Travelling during pregnancy and Unaccompanied Minors travel.   Emirates’ Sensory Products & Fidget Toys   Emirates has designed a range of sensory products and fidget toys for customers of all ages that are available onboard in all cabin classes. Sensory and fidget tools are widely recognised to provide a familiar tactile activity and may help some neurodivergent passengers regulate sensory input, focus or feel more comfortable during travel. To support customers in this situation, Emirates has designed a tactile stress reliever in the style of an aircraft, two types of fidget cube and a branded aircraft rubber popper. The items are offered to passengers who are neurodiverse, anyone who is struggling onboard, and even to nervous flyers if appropriate.   Accessibility Features on Inflight Entertainment – ice   Emirates is committed to setting industry standards and accessibility for people with disabilities and now offers over 850+ movies with ‘Closed Captions’ and 200 movies with ‘Audio Description’, offering for customers with visual impairment. Emirates headphones are also compatible with hearing aids when set to the ‘T’ position. To alleviate anxiety or enhance relaxation, there are 12 channels of Wellbeing TV and 31 channels of Happiness and Wellbeing podcasts and playlists, including meditations and soothing sounds.   Onboard Emirates’ Airbus A350-900, a new user interface on ice has been designed in partnership with Thales and advocacy groups for customers with visual impairment, to ensure all customers have an intuitive, high quality inflight entertainment experience. The interface includes audio-cue navigation, voice metadata feedback, touch- and- swipe gesture support, helping passengers who are blind or have low vision navigate and select content more independently.   Emirates Accessible Chauffeur Drive Service   10 Emirates-branded wheelchair accessible vehicles are now available for customers in Dubai. The Emirates Chauffeur Drive accessible vehicle is a Mercedes V Class, with the lowered floor conversion kit offering easy and safe access to the vehicle, higher head clearance, electrically- operated easy -pull mechanism to board and off board the passengers, and adjustable seating arrangement options. Once inside, the additional safety restraints secure the customer who may have severe mobility disabilities. Emirates’ chauffeur drivers are currently being trained in mobility assistance and to support customers with disabilities. Currently, the wheelchair accessible vehicle is used for First and Business Class customers eligible for chauffeur drive services based in Dubai, with plans to extend its availability in the future.

Emirates’ focus on Accessible Travel   Championing Change   Emirates is championing change in the aviation industry, with the goal of making travel more accessible and inclusive for everyone. As part of efforts to champion 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 staff to support customers with autism and has introduced the ‘Travel Rehearsal’ initiative across 6 continents, allowing customers to practice the nuances of the airport experience before travelling.   Designing for Dignity   Emirates is engaged in designing new policies, processes, and products with a focus on dignity of customers with accessibility requirements. Empowering all customers to fly with confidence, Emirates introduced a new Accessibility policy and commitment in recent years and implemented new processes in Call Centres to support customer requirements, launched the Accessible & 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.   Advancing Accessibility   Emirates continues to drive the accessible travel agenda forward in an evolving space, doing what is right and responsible, step by step and prioritising innovation. Emirates also works with an array of partners internationally to advance the accessible travel agenda – from legislators, to operators, to specific groups and communities, and global customers. Emirates also aims to advance accessibility by standardising global processes and creating consistency - online, in call centres, in airports and inflight. Tags: Emirates airline