Queen’s University and Belfast City Airport Aid Children with Autism on Their First Flight

The ‘Autism in the Air’ programme is led by Dr Nichola Booth from Queen’s in partnership with Belfast City Airport and helps children become familiar with the airport environment, making future travel more accessible and stress-free.

Dr Booth, Senior Lecturer in Behaviour Analysis from the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen’s commented:

“It has been great working with Belfast City Airport on this incredibly important initiative for the past ten years.

“Our goal is to make sure that every child has the chance to explore new opportunities in a way that is comfortable for them, and this event has provided an excellent platform for achieving just that.”

Michelle Hatfield, Chief People and Marketing Officer, at Belfast City Airport said:

“As an airport in the heart of the city and at the heart of the community, we are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all our passengers.  Through this unique programme, now in its tenth year, we hope to make flying a more positive experience for children with autism, giving families the opportunity to enjoy travelling together.”

The session, which was the first of its kind, showed families all aspects of the airport journey, including check-in, security, take off, and landing, designed to help children build confidence in a calm and supportive setting.

The flight was facilitated by Emerald Airlines, exclusive operator of Aer Lingus Regional services.

John Dillon, Head of Ground Operations at Emerald Airlines added:

“We are delighted to have been part of the ‘Autism in the Air’ initiative, supporting Belfast City Airport in creating such a meaningful and inclusive experience. It’s been a great to work alongside the airport and Queen’s University Belfast to help make air travel more accessible for children with autism and their families.”