Etihad Airways
Accessibility Plan

General

Etihad Airways is the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates and is proud to provide its services to all guests, including those with disabilities, in a manner consistent with the United Arab Emirates’ Six Pillars of the National Policy for Empowering People of Determination, available at https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/social-affairs/people-of-determination.

The Etihad Airways Accessibility Plan (Canada) is made in accordance with the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations, the Accessible Canada Act (“ACA”), and related regulations, and consistent with the ACA’s principles:

all people must be treated with dignity regardless of their disabilities;
all people must have the same opportunity to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have regardless of their disabilities;
all people must have barrier-free access to full and equal participation in society, regardless of their disabilities;
all people must have meaningful options and be free to make their own choices, with support if they desire, regardless of their disabilities;
laws, policies, programs, services, and structures must take into account the disabilities of people, the different ways that people interact with their environments and the multiple and intersecting forms of marginalization and discrimination faced by people;
people with disabilities must be involved in the development and design of laws, policies, programs, services, and structures; and
the development and revision of accessibility standards and the making of regulations must be done with the objective of achieving the highest level of accessibility for people with disabilities.

Etihad Airways Contact Information & Feedback Process

Etihad Airways offers guests with disabilities all the necessary assistance and support when travelling with us.

If guests encounter any difficulties during the booking process, at the airport, or while on board, we encourage them to let us know. We value and welcome all feedback, and we will use it to enhance our products and services.

On our dedicated Feedback web page, guests can share their feedback or request an alternate format of our Accessibility Plan or of the description of our feedback process.

Guests can also contact us via email at CTA@etihad.ae, by phone at +1 (866) 948- 1081, or by mail at:

Guest Relations Manager
Etihad Airways Headquarters
P.O. Box 35566
Khalifa City A
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Etihad Airways’ website supports adaptive technology, such as screen readers. Our Contact Centre and Live Chat teams are also available to assist guests with bookings or queries.

While at the airport, guests can check the status of their flights on our high contrast screens or directly on their phone by using the Etihad Airways application. Our airport announcements also provide guests with updates regarding boarding time, delays, and gate changes.

We have recently enhanced our special assistance booking flow to allow our guests to better communicate their needs and receive special services. And by June 2025 we will endeavor to:

Enhancing our website and application to include screen reader capabilities.
Automate the recording and acceptance of motorized assistive devices such as electric wheelchairs and scooters

Communication Other Than ICT

Etihad Airways recognizes the importance of identifying and addressing barriers in the way guests with disabilities interact with our employees, including those who are deaf or managing hearing loss, and those who are blind or managing vision issues. Etihad Airways offers special assistance services for passengers with hearing and/or visual impairments that can be requested through our website and other communication channels. Etihad Airways also provides its employees with training so that they are equipped to facilitate communications with guests with disabilities. This is a continuous process, and includes:

Developing and enhancing programs for customer-facing employees, including regarding disability awareness and methods of communicating with passengers with disabilities; and
Investigating means by which Etihad can increase awareness of the special assistance services it offers, including for its guests with hearing and/or visual impairments.

We encourage all guests who need help or assistance to let us know of their needs so that we can provide the appropriate support.

In 2024, we designed and implemented a new training course that covers dignified assistance. Our airport contractors can learn more about the disability spectrum and better understand our guests’ needs and expectations. We have also conducted advanced training for selected employees to allow them to provide additional assistance and to address the most sensitive requests.

We have also reinforced suitable seating requirements, ensuring to comply with operational standards. Additionally, we have ensured that free-of-charge seating for guests with disabilities is consistently implemented, enhancing accessibility, safety, and comfort during travel.

By June 2025 we will endeavor to:

Review the possibility of introducing braille safety cards and menus.
Reviewing the additional means by which we can communicate and interact with our guests.

Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities

Etihad Airways provides a range of special services to its guests with disabilities, including, but not limited to:

Accessible check-in kiosks
Wheelchair assistance
Sighted guides
Delivery at aircraft service for assistive devices
Special meals
Agent support at self-service counters

More information about these services is available at Etihad’s Special Assistance page.

Design, and Delivery of Programs and Services

Etihad considers accessibility requirements in connection with procurement policies to the extent practical and in a manner consistent with best practices.

We regularly review Etihad’s procurement policies, procedures, and feedback we receive from guests with disabilities to incorporate, as practical, into its purchasing strategies.

Etihad Airways also seeks to collaborate with its suppliers and vendors to find better ways of incorporating accessibility considerations into its sourcing of goods and services, especially those that will be used by, or to help, people with disabilities.

Etihad also provides its cabin crew and airport teams with training to better enable them to meet the needs of passengers with disabilities. This is a continuous process, which includes:

Reviewing the special services provided for guests with disabilities to ensure they are consistent with industry best practices; and.
Consulting with guests and employees with disabilities and reviewing feedback to identify ways Etihad can improve its training and services.
We have recently developed a new training pack that offers our employees and contractors insights on delivery of services aimed at all our guests, including those with physical and hidden disabilities.

As part of ongoing efforts to enhance staff travel experience and accessibility, Etihad Airways aims to ensure staff members can travel with service animals on staff tickets. This effort is part of our broader commitment to fostering an accommodating and supportive environment for all employees.

Built Environment

Etihad Airways takes measures to ensure its aircraft are accessible. All Etihad aircraft have seats with movable armrests and other accessibility features.

Our airports and aircraft are equipped with a variety of accessible products designed to support your needs. These include:

Movable armrests on board
Accessible lavatories both at the airport and on board
Priority seating
Accessible lounges
Accessible parking

Several airports across our network also offer service animal relief areas and braille signage across the terminal. Zayed International Airport, Etihad’s home, has several features designed to enhance accessibility. Please see https://www.zayedinternationalairport.ae/en/ for more information about our home airport.

By June 2025, we will endeavor to expand the offerings at Zayed International Airport to include, among other things:

Introducing service animal relief areas;
Introducing sensory rooms;
Enhancing dedicated spaces for guests with disabilities
Enhancing special assistance services available to guests at the curb and airport.

Transportation

Etihad Airways recognizes the importance of ensuring that transportation services to and from our airports are fully accessible to the extent possible.

Guests who require assistance at the airport can access wheelchairs, sighted guides, and dedicated support agents to help them reach the check-in counters, boarding gates, lounges, and the bus or taxi lane.

At Abu Dhabi, you may also use our airport buggy to reach your departure gate or our transfer desks.

By June 2025, we will endeavor to:

Reviewing the possibility of supporting accessible shuttle buses, chauffeurs, and coaches together with aircraft accessibility
Reach agreements with all contractors to ensure the provisions of accessible transportation are considered at all network airports

Employment

Etihad Airways is committed to a safe, accessible, and fair workplace. We offer all Etihad employees, including those with disabilities, reasonable accommodations and assistance when working on Etihad premises.

Employees can provide feedback and ask for support through our various communication channels for their specific concerns, including:

Harassment and Bullying: Speak Up
Environmental Support and Accessibility: Asset Management
Facilities, including Access: Health & Safety & iSupport

Etihad Airways values and welcomes employee feedback and uses it to enhance our employment policies and environment.

Provisions of CTA Accessibility-Related Regulations

Etihad Airways is constantly working to improve the accessibility of our products and services across all our channels. Our commitment ensures that we comply with the provisions of UAE and other requirements, including the U.S. Department of Transportation 14 CFR Part 382, as well as paragraph 5(1)(a) and the provisions of Part 2 of the Canadian Transportation Agency's Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations and other Canadian requirements, the latter of which apply to Etihad’s flights to and from Canada.

Consultations

We have developed Etihad Airways PJSC (Canada) Accessibility Plan based on feedback from people with disabilities and our experience serving guests with disabilities. This includes consulting our guests and employees through several channels, including post-flight surveys, direct feedback, and internal surveys and questionnaires.

Employees and guests can join our working groups and offer insights on what our guests would like to experience when travelling with us. Our working groups focus on a variety of items, including, but not limited to, the introduction of braille options and technological advancements.

Feedback Information

On 21 March 2024, Etihad Airways held its first Accessibility Working Group meeting, during which sixteen members of the Etihad Airways family who are either affected by a disability or live in close contact with a disabled person participated. The group identified the strengths and weaknesses of Etihad Airways’ processes and suggested additional measures to enhance our products and services. We are also working to identify guests with disabilities or disability advocates to participate in future meetings.