Abstract
The literature on air travellers with psychiatric disorders is limited. This perspective article highlights various travel-related aspects of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The airport experience can be stressful for families of children with autism spectrum disorder (FwASDs). The aim of this study was to explore the airport experience of FwASDs using the value co-creation process approach to assist airport managers in designing improved experiences for this specific passenger segment. This study responds to the current climate in which airports are developing awareness programmes in relation to children who require special assistance at airports. The prevalence of children with ASD is 1/68. While a number of airports throughout the world have adopted procedures addressing the needs of those with cognitive impairment, these advances are far from universal. As part of an academic–industry collaboration between Vueling airlines and the Spanish airport operator Aena, 25 FwASDs took part in an inclusive airport research project in the city of Barcelona from November 2015 to April 2016. Employing a qualitative methodology that incorporated focus groups, ethnographic techniques, and post-experience surveys, the study contributes to extending the body of knowledge on the management of the value co-creation process for challenging passenger segments within the airport context. The study explains how ensuring adequate resource allocation to this passenger segment can improve the family-inclusive design of the airport experience and offers managerial recommendations.
Highlights
Travelling can be challenging for children and adults with autism
This study sought to address the many challenges faced by families of children with autism spectrum disorder (FwASDs) in their airport experiences
We sought to understand which critical encounters generate the most value for FwASDs to ensure their successful family-inclusive airport experience design
Summary
Travelling can be challenging for children and adults with autism. The changes in routine, unpredictability, crowds, and new noises and sights can all make the experience difficult for children with ASD and their families. The growing market segment of passengers with autism, a neurodevelopment condition that affects a person’s ability to properly communicate and relate to their environment and other people [5], presents a particular challenge for airports, as passengers with ASD exhibit particular difficulties during the air travel experience and require specific kinds of support to be able to travel at ease. Air travel can be exhausting, from check-in to onboard service, for this passenger segment and their families [6]. According to [7], passengers with mobility and non-mobility disabilities requiring service assistance support at airports comprise a major passenger segment worldwide
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