Inclusive travel

Accessible travel

Emirates crew assisting person in wheelchair

Hidden disabilities

Here are some of the services that will help you to prepare for your journey and how we can help you along the way if you have a hidden disability.

We can help with your travel plans, including dietary meals, choosing your seat on the flight and any assistance you might need. Please get in touch with us to talk about how we can assist you.

Assistance throughout your journey

We can help you through the airport and on board if you need mobility or medical support. Please check our information about medical assistance.

In certain circumstances you can carry additional baggage for free. Please check our information on carrying medical or mobility equipment.

We can arrange for specific seats on the flight, whether you prefer to sit by the window, on the aisle or with more room in a quieter space, where we have seats available. We can arrange for you and up to two companions to sit together. Simply contact your local Emirates office.

Consistent service code

You might see this code on your ticket – DPNA. This is just a code that’s applied to your booking to share your requirements with our teams so they can assist you along your journey. It’s a code used within the travel industry for customers with cognitive or hidden disabilities to communicate requirements between the booking engine, travel agencies, airlines, service providers and airport authorities.

Travelling with an assistant

Find out more information about travelling with an assistant or medical escort further down this page. For safety reasons, if you’re unable to understand or follow safety instructions you will need to have someone travelling with you.

Preparing to travel

We have some useful tools to help you plan your journey ahead of time.

Explore the seating chart for your journey in 3D and move around our virtual aircraft cabin.

Our city check in locations away from the airport and Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International have been designated as Certified Autism Centers™. The certification is awarded by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) and means that all Emirates facilities in Dubai have taken a significant step towards making travel more inclusive and accessible to neurodiverse customers and meets the criteria for a comfortable and supported travel experience. Find out more about our check in options.

This Autism friendly travel planner will help you to plan your journey through Dubai International airport. You’ll find information about the different steps and how the staff can assist you.

Sensory Guides

We understand you may have concerns about the sensory experience in a busy airport, from sounds and smells to touch and lights. In partnership with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) we have developed Sensory Guides guide to help navigate through Dubai International Terminal 3:

At the airport

We can help if you or someone in your group requires support with navigating the airport. We can guide you to immigration, security and the boarding gate. You can also ask to be one of the first to board the aircraft, so you have more time to get settled on the flight.

Hidden disabilities sunflower

We support airports around the world who have adopted the sunflower programme. Wearing a sunflower is a voluntary way to share that you or someone in your group has a non visible condition and may need some time, understanding or assistance.

At Dubai International airport you can collect a sunflower lanyard at the Assisted Services desk when you enter the Departures area at Emirates Terminal 3. You can also follow the sunflower signs throughout the airport on a dedicated route, including check in, immigration, security and the boarding gates.

Services on your flight

Our world class cabin crew speak many languages and are trained in hospitality and service excellence. Our cabin crew have been specially trained to equip them with the understanding and skills to address the needs of travellers with autism and sensory sensitivities and their families.

In First and Business Class, we have noise cancelling headphones to block out ambient cabin sounds.

If you are sensitive to light, you can close the window blind after take off and the ambient cabin lights will be dimmed as soon as the meal services are complete. We offer eyeshades if you need them for sleep.

Our onboard entertainment system, ice, is available in up to 40 languages. We also have hundreds of movies with audio description (AD) or closed captions (CC) for customers with hearing, vision, and neurodiverse conditions.