Miami International Airport hosts latest rehearsal tour for children with special needs

MIA Director and CEO Ralph Cutié (center left) and American Airlines Miami Hub Vice President Juan Carlos Liscano (center right) with the MIAair tour group on October 23, 2023. CREDIT: MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

One month before the busy Thanksgiving travel week, Miami International Airport hosted its second MIA Airport Instruction and Readiness (MIAair) tour of 2023 for 25 children with special needs. The tour allowed participants to walk through the airport travel experience from start to finish in a safe and controlled environment and attendees included children from the Atlantis Academy of Miami in Kendall.

The children, accompanied by their teachers, parents, or guardians, practiced entering the airport, getting boarding passes, going through security, and boarding an American Airlines plane. The programme also served as a learning experience for airline and Transportation Security Administration workers at MIA. The goal of the MIAair programme is for anyone – regardless of their disability – to experience the magic and wonder of flight. Since the tours began in 2015, more than 100 families have participated. The tour programme resumed in 2023 after taking a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.