- Total of seven events in cities across Canada in 2025
- The Air Canada Foundation and Air Canada partnered with local autism organizations and airports as well as PAL Airlines and Jazz Aviation
- Last event of the year took place yesterday in Vancouver
MONTRÉAL, Nov. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Air Canada and the Air Canada Foundation are celebrating another successful year of their Autism Aviation Days events. These events aim to provide a supportive environment where children on the spectrum can familiarize themselves with elements of air travel. This includes the entire pre-flight process, from check-in to boarding and aircraft taxiing, helping to ease anxiety and build confidence for future journeys — not only for the children but also for their families.
This year, with the support of Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines, events took place in Vancouver, Kamloops, Calgary, St. John’s, Quebec City, Winnipeg and Edmonton.
“Autism Aviation Days expanded significantly this year,” said Brigitte St-Pierre, Director, Official Languages and Community Engagement at Air Canada. “We were able to offer this experience to more families from coast to coast, and we look forward to continuing this meaningful initiative next year. We are honoured to have supported so many autism organizations this year, who do tremendous work in their communities. We also thank our loyal partners Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines for their help making those events possible.”
“The initial concept was to reassure families that air travel could be a possibility. Having been approached by a travel advisor who is a Certified Autism Travel Professional based in Victoria, BC – the first Autism Aviation Day took flight at the Victoria International Airport,” says Edna Ray, Senior Manager, Regional Sales at Air Canada, who first approached the Air Canada Foundation with the idea. “The increased demand for the events this year demonstrated families with children on the spectrum most definitely would like to enjoy air travel, and we’re happy to be able to introduce families to that possibility.”
“Accessibility is measured in many ways,” said Paul Walsh, CEO, Autism Society of Newfoundland & Labrador. “On October 5th, I saw smiles and tears of joy as families realized they’d broken through a barrier that has denied them the ability to travel together. When any part of society breaks down barriers, we get closer to true equity and inclusion.”
“The Air Canada Foundation’s dedication toward inclusion and accessibility helped create a reassuring and memorable experience for many families,” said Johanne Potvin, Vice President of the Fondation de l’autisme de Québec. “We were moved by the team’s professionalism, compassion and commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of people with autism. Over 60 people had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience with airport procedures, from check-in to boarding.”
In 2024, Air Canada and the Air Canada Foundation held four Autism Aviation Days, helping over 125 children and their families learn more about air travel. In 2025, due to high demand, it hosted seven events, including in Quebec and Newfoundland for the first time, helping over 450 children and their families.
Our accessibility services team is committed to offering seamless travel experiences for all our customers and assists passengers with a wide range of services.
About the Air Canada Foundation
The Air Canada Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focused on the health and well-being of children and youth, was launched in 2012. It offers both financial and in-kind support to Canadian-registered charities. Core programs include the Hospital Transportation Program, which redistributes Aeroplan points to 15 pediatric hospitals across Canada, enabling children access the medical care they need away from home. The Air Canada Foundation, in collaboration with the airline, also engages directly in fundraising activities, such as the Every Bit Counts program, which encourages customers to donate loose change of all denominations on board flights or through collection containers available in Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges. The Foundation also offers continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and is an active participant in international humanitarian relief activity as the need arises.
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline, the country’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is Canada’s premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world’s largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada’s passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada’s climate-related ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see Air Canada’s TCFD disclosure. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada and the OTCQX in the US.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c7444f9b-f281-443c-bc6c-5884ba641f8b
