by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:03 PM ET, Fri June 15, 2018
A group of children with Autism and Asperger's was treated to a special flight experience by the Miami Airport Customer Service team and Delta Air Lines.
The purpose of the special event was to help children with disabilities understand the process of flying, which can include loud noises and unfamiliar people and situations that could create stress and apprehensiveness.
In addition to helping the children, the special flight experience also provided parents with the opportunity to learn how to better manage every step of the journey. Delta executives and employees guided the families during the events and showed them the different parts of the plane, including the cockpit.
For the children, the simulated flight experience was their first opportunity to see what it will be like to check-in for a flight, go through the TSA checkpoints and walk to the gate. The kids then boarded the simulated flight and were provided with an in-flight meal.
"We want every child that travels with Delta to have a great experience and enjoy Delta's services in the sky, so they can go around to different parts of the world feeling safe and happy," Delta managing director Luciano Macagno said in a statement.
"Autistic children can become quite anxious at an airport and today the focus was to ease that stress and answer their questions so in the future they look forward to traveling," Miami station manager John Higgins said. "Interacting with these families also helps our team to be more in tune with their needs."
This event was a new chapter in Delta's ongoing efforts to connect with the communities where the airline operates. Last November, the Delta team in Peru simulated a flight experience for the Ann Sullivan Center for students with autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.
In addition, Delta offers more information for travelers with disabilities on the airline's official website.
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