ATRC Priority Area: Travel Away from Home
Practice Details: Some airports offer travel training programs. For example, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) offers a program called Navigating MSP, which includes the use of a mock aircraft cabin for passengers to practice flying. Navigating MSP allows travelers to experience TSA security screening procedures, explore the terminal, board a plane and meet a pilot, and prepare for takeoff. Similarly, at Kansas City International Airport, the Kansas City Air Travel Experience Room guides travelers through every step of air travel inside a section of an Airbus 321 fuselage. Travelers gain experience with check-in, security screening, boarding, and flight procedures.
Why It’s Promising: Airports and airplanes can be difficult to navigate and often pose challenges for people with disabilities. These programs provide people with training to feel confident in accessing and navigating air travel.
Replication: Other airports can model travel training programs after these centers. Centers that include mock cabins can be used for multiple types of training — for example, training airline cabin crews or emergency responders in onboard emergency situations. Airports can also seek to partner with airlines; for instance, the mock cabin used for training at MSP was donated by Delta Air Lines.
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