Emirates brings global travel rehearsal programme to Colombia
Bogotá, Colombia, 16 October 2026: Emirates, the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline, hosted a Travel Rehearsal at El Dorado International Airport, the first initiative of its kind in Colombia.
Delivered in line with Emirates’ commitment to Accessible Travel and El Dorado International Airport’s ‘El Dorado + Accessible’ programme, the Travel Rehearsal aims to make air travel more predictable, comfortable and accessible for individuals on the autism spectrum.
The initiative enables travellers with accessible requirements to participate in a guided simulation of the complete air travel journey, helping them become familiar with airport procedures and onboard environments ahead of their trip.
At El Dorado International Airport, individuals on the autism spectrum from local communities were invited to experience every stage of the airport journey, including check-in, baggage drop, security screening, and boarding. Participants also visited an Emirates aircraft, met cabin crew members, and completed a simulated arrival experience, including baggage reclaim and customs procedures.
Gianmarco Mazetti, Emirates’ Area Manager, Colombia, said: “Being the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline, we take pride in advancing our commitment to making travel accessible for everyone. The Travel Rehearsal provided participants an opportunity to experience the airport journey in a relaxed and supportive environment, helping them build confidence and feel prepared for future travel. We would like to thank El Dorado International Airport for its support and for sharing our vision of empowering people across the spectrum to travel with ease. This activation would not have been possible without the Emirates Airport Services management and team, who helped organise and host the experience.”
“El Dorado More Accessible is a set of programs designed to improve airport accessibility for passengers with non-visible disabilities. These include the Sunflower Program and ‘El Dorado at Your Own Pace’, an initiative that allows passengers who may experience travel-related anxiety to become familiar with the airport journey and procedures before their day of travel and making travel more accessible,” added Victor Alfredo Sanchez, Director of Customer Experience and Service at El Dorado International Airport.
Emirates became the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline, with more than 35,000 cabin crew and ground staff completing specialised autism awareness training. The programme equips employees with in-depth knowledge of the autism spectrum, common misconceptions, challenges faced during travel, and personalised support strategies tailored to individual passenger needs.
Since April 2025, Emirates’ Airport Services teams have come together to arrange more than 40 of these travel rehearsals for over 250 families across airports like Accra, Antananarivo, Athens, Bali, Bangalore, Barcelona, Bologna, Brussels, Cairo, Cebu, Christchurch, Da Nang, Delhi, Dubai, Dublin, Durban, Düsseldorf, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Harare, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Luanda, Lusaka, Madrid, Male, Mauritius, Milan, Newcastle, Nice, Orlando, Oslo, Paris, Pampanga, Peshawar, Port Louis, Rome, Stansted, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, Trivandrum, Venice and Vienna.