Air Canada Pioneering Autism Aviation Days Program Thrives In 2025, Reaching More Families Than Ever And Expanding To Quebec And Newfoundland

Published on November 3, 2025

Air Canada’s Autism Aviation Days person expanded importantly successful 2025, providing a transformative recreation acquisition for complete 450 families crossed Canada. This groundbreaking inaugural offers children connected nan autism spectrum nan opportunity to familiarize themselves pinch each measurement of aerial travel, from check-in to boarding, reducing worry and building confidence. With events held successful 7 cities, including caller locations successful Quebec and Newfoundland, Air Canada continues to lead nan measurement successful making aerial recreation much accessible and empowering for families.

Air Canada, successful business pinch nan Air Canada Foundation, has successfully completed different impactful twelvemonth of their Autism Aviation Days events, continuing to make a quality for children connected nan autism spectrum and their families. This inaugural intends to supply a supportive and acquisition environment, wherever children tin familiarize themselves pinch nan elements of aerial travel, which are often anxiety-inducing. By simulating nan full formation process, from check-in to boarding and craft taxiing, nan arena helps alleviate communal recreation anxieties, fostering assurance and comfortableness for some nan children and their families.

In 2024, nan programme took spot successful 4 cities crossed Canada, including Vancouver, Kamloops, Calgary, and St. John’s. These events were attended by complete 125 children and their families, offering them a chance to acquisition aerial recreation successful a calm and controlled environment. The events provided a step-by-step walkthrough of what to expect astatine each shape of nan journey: checking successful astatine nan airport, going done security, boarding nan plane, and preparing for takeoff. By familiarizing children pinch these steps, nan inaugural helped trim their fearfulness and worry astir nan unknowns of aerial travel.
With nan support of Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines, nan Autism Aviation Days were hosted successful aggregate Canadian cities, offering families an opportunity to acquisition a realistic aerial recreation script without nan accustomed stressors of a existent flight. The children were capable to committee existent aircraft, meet nan crew, and research nan various areas of nan airplane, making nan arena a genuinely immersive experience. This programme is particularly beneficial for families who person children pinch autism, arsenic it prepares them for early flights by addressing their circumstantial needs and concerns successful a safe and knowing environment.

“Autism Aviation Days expanded importantly this year,” said Brigitte St-Pierre, Director, Official Languages and Community Engagement astatine Air Canada. “We were capable to connection this acquisition to much families from seashore to coast, and we look guardant to continuing this meaningful inaugural adjacent year. We are honoured to person supported truthful galore autism organizations this year, who do tremendous activity successful their communities. We besides convey our loyal partners Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines for their thief making those events possible.”

“The first conception was to reassure families that aerial recreation could beryllium a possibility. Having been approached by a recreation advisor who is simply a Certified Autism Travel Professional based successful Victoria, BC – nan first Autism Aviation Day took formation astatine nan Victoria International Airport,” says Edna Ray, Senior Manager, Regional Sales astatine Air Canada, who first approached nan Air Canada Foundation pinch nan idea. “The accrued request for nan events this twelvemonth demonstrated families pinch children connected nan spectrum astir decidedly would for illustration to bask aerial travel, and we’re happy to beryllium capable to present families to that possibility.”

“Accessibility is measured successful galore ways,” said Paul Walsh, CEO, Autism Society of Newfoundland & Labrador. “On October 5th, I saw smiles and tears of joyousness arsenic families realized they’d surgery done a obstruction that has denied them nan expertise to recreation together. When immoderate portion of nine breaks down barriers, we get person to existent equity and inclusion.”

“The Air Canada Foundation’s dedication toward inclusion and accessibility helped create a reassuring and memorable acquisition for galore families,” said Johanne Potvin, Vice President of nan Fondation de l’autisme de Québec. “We were moved by nan team’s professionalism, compassion and committedness to making a meaningful quality successful nan lives of group pinch autism. Over 60 group had nan opportunity to summation first-hand acquisition pinch airdrome procedures, from check-in to boarding.”

In 2025, owed to nan overwhelming request from families crossed nan country, Air Canada and nan Air Canada Foundation decided to grow nan inaugural significantly. This year, Autism Aviation Days was held successful 7 cities, marking a milestone for nan program. For nan first time, events took spot successful Quebec and Newfoundland, broadening nan scope and ensuring much families could participate. This description was made imaginable done nan continued support of Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines, who person been integral partners successful making nan arena a occurrence crossed nan nation.

Over 450 children and their families were capable to return portion successful nan 2025 events, a important summation from nan erstwhile year. The added locations successful Quebec and Newfoundland helped to see much families from divers regions, enabling them to use from nan program’s supportive environment. The events were system to guarantee that children connected nan spectrum had nan chance to get comfortable pinch each portion of nan aerial recreation experience—an often overwhelming process for some children and parents. Whether it’s nan sounds of nan level engines, nan show of an unfamiliar airport, aliases nan process of information checks, these events let families to acquisition everything successful a low-stress, accessible way.

The 2025 events besides provided a chance to stitchery valuable feedback from participants, helping Air Canada and nan Air Canada Foundation refine and amended nan programme for early iterations. Families reported emotion much assured and amended prepared for upcoming flights, pinch galore parents expressing their gratitude for nan support nan events provided. For children, nan chance to prosecute pinch airdrome and hose staff, while exploring nan airplane compartment and learning astir information procedures, was peculiarly valuable. These hands-on experiences not only helped easiness fears but besides promoted a consciousness of independency for nan children.

The Autism Aviation Days inaugural is portion of Air Canada’s broader committedness to inclusivity and accessibility for each passengers, sloppy of ability. The hose has agelong been dedicated to improving nan recreation acquisition for individuals pinch disabilities, and their accessibility services squad useful diligently to guarantee that each passengers person a soft and enjoyable journey. These services see assistance pinch boarding, specialized seating arrangements, and different measures designed to make aerial recreation much comfortable for passengers pinch unsocial needs.

Air Canada’s efforts to make aerial recreation much accessible spell beyond conscionable Autism Aviation Days. The hose continues to heighten its services for passengers pinch various disabilities, ensuring that families and individuals pinch typical requirements are well-supported astatine each shape of their journey. From nan infinitesimal passengers get astatine nan airdrome until they are seated comfortably connected nan plane, Air Canada’s squad is committed to providing a seamless and stress-free recreation experience.
In summation to Autism Aviation Days, nan Air Canada Foundation besides supports galore different programs and initiatives aimed astatine helping children and families successful need, pinch a typical attraction connected intelligence health, accessibility, and education. This holistic attack underscores nan foundation’s dedication to improving lives and creating much inclusive communities crossed Canada.

As Air Canada continues to put successful accessibility and inclusivity, nan occurrence of Autism Aviation Days successful 2025 demonstrates nan airline’s ongoing committedness to providing meaningful support for families facing unsocial challenges. The affirmative feedback and increasing request for these events bespeak that they are making a important quality for families and helping pave nan measurement for much accessible aerial recreation successful nan future.

Looking ahead, nan Air Canada Foundation plans to grow nan programme moreover further successful nan coming years, ensuring that much families crossed nan state tin acquisition nan benefits of this invaluable initiative. As aerial recreation continues to go much accessible, programs for illustration Autism Aviation Days play a important domiciled successful helping families pinch children connected nan spectrum bask nan aforesaid opportunities for recreation and escapade arsenic everyone else.