Air travel can be stressful, but for those with autism, it can be an overwhelming experience that some avoid entirely.

Through the Autism Aviators program, travel is becoming less daunting for families because of a mock travel day hosted by the Edmonton International Airport, Flair Airlines and Autism Edmonton.

“Having been through it as a trial, they know what to expect … just being able to try it in a safe place instead of spending all that money on a ticket and not being able to fly anywhere,” said Myron Keehn, vice-president of air service for EIA.

On June 15, around 35 families went through the regular process of check-in, security and boarding. While still on the tarmac, they go through the safety demonstration and flight service where they received refreshments. After getting off the plane, families went to the carousel where they received gift bags.

Beyond the trial flight, travellers can make use of services like the priority security line and a quiet room. While this is not the first program of its kind, it is one of the first in Canada with Halifax launching its own Autism Aviators.

Flair Airlines has all of their employees undergo an online certification course to recognize autism and help travellers accordingly. David Tait, executive chairman of Flair Airlines, said there is a “huge need” to make travelling more inclusive for those with autism.

“The captain had the door open and some children went up and had their photo taken … all of these things come together to actually make them look forward to flying the next time and make it altogether less stressful as a whole,” Tait said.

Moving forward, Tait would like to see the travel day be expanded to include a one night stay in a nearby hotel so that families can become accustom to that new environment, as well. As there were hundreds of people still on the waiting list after this event, they will be hosting another mock travel day in the fall.

Those interested can contact Autism Edmonton to be added to the waiting list for the next mock travel day at EIA.