Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) partnered with The Arc of Pennsylvania, Frontier Airlines and MarketPlace PHL for the first-ever Wings for Autism® event at PHL on April 27. The Arc’s Wings for Autism® program gives families of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities the opportunity to experience various airport stimuli by offering a practice session of the complete air travel experience.
Approximately 30 families from the Philadelphia region participated in the event at PHL. They checked in at Frontier’s Terminal E ticketing desk, where they received boarding passes; were scanned through the TSA security checkpoint; waited in a designated boarding area; and boarded a Frontier aircraft (that did not take off). All guests received a gift bag at baggage claim and were treated to lunch.
“To be able to offer opportunities to make air travel more familiar and feasible to all of our community members makes our airport and services more accessible and builds our internal stakeholder understanding of this important and growing part of our community," said Denise Bailey, Department of Aviation Vice President of Business Diversity and Accessibility.
The Arc insures that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) are treated fairly, included in society, and supported to participate fully in their communities throughout their lives. The Wings for Autism® event at PHL gave families the opportunity to alleviate some stress that people with autism and other IDDs may experience when traveling by air. It also allowed airport, airline, and TSA staff to learn how to better serve passengers with disabilities in a controlled setting, and improve their skills to help accommodate all flyers. 
"All of the families were very grateful to have the unique opportunity for this all-encompassing rehearsal experience. There were smiles all around and everyone deemed it a success. PHL looks forward to hosting additional Wings for Autism® events so that more and more families can participate," said Leah Douglas, Department of Aviation Director of Guest Experience
