(Miami, FL, April 2, 2025) — To recognize World Autism Awareness Day, Miami International Airport and American Airlines hosted the airport’s latest MIA Airport Instruction and Readiness (MIAair) tour for more than 50 children with special needs from local high schools, with their parents or guardians. The tour allowed participants to rehearse the air travel experience from start to finish, all the way to an airplane seat, in a safe and controlled environment.
The children practiced entering the airport, getting boarding passes, going through security, and boarding an American Airlines plane with the airline’s gate agents and flight crew. The program also served as a learning experience for airline and airport workers at MIA. The goal of the MIAair program is for anyone – regardless of their disability – to experience the magic and wonder of flight. Since launching the MIAair tours in 2015, in partnership with UM-NSU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), MIA has now hosted tours for more than 300 children with special needs.