Flying from Pearson with a Child with Special Needs: A Step-by-Step Parent Guide

Flying can be hard for any child. For a child with autism, ADHD, anxiety or another special need, the noise, crowds, lines and waiting can be a lot. The good news: Toronto Pearson and the main Canadian airlines offer real help, most of it free. You just need to ask for it, and ask early.

Which airline does the most?

We looked at what the five main Canadian airlines at Pearson publish about autistic and neurodiverse travellers (October 2026). Here is how they compare, from most to least.

1. Air Canada

• Runs Autism Aviation Days: practice days where families check in, go through security and board a parked aircraft before their real trip.
• Takes part in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program. Lanyards are available at Air Canada check-in counters and on board.

2. Air Transat

• Partners with Toronto Pearson and Autism Ontario on "Ready, Set, Fly… with YYZ", a yearly airport practice tour for autistic and neurodivergent families.
• Also supports a similar event in Montreal for children with autism.

3. Porter

• Has a clear page for non-visible disabilities and asks families travelling with someone with an intellectual disability to tell Porter ahead of time so it can arrange support.
• Note: Porter says a passenger who cannot understand the crew's safety instructions should travel with an attendant.

4. WestJet

• Pre-boarding and other support are available on request through WestJet's special assistance team. Sunflower lanyards are available at WestJet check-in counters at Pearson.
• In 2024 the Canadian Transportation Agency fined WestJet for accessibility failures, including not letting a passenger with a disability board first. Put your request in writing.

5. Flair

• We found no autism-specific program.
• In 2025 the Canadian Transportation Agency fined Flair for not giving a passenger with a disability the help they had asked for. If you fly Flair, confirm every request before the day.

Our take: if you can choose, Air Canada and Air Transat do the most today. On any airline, the request you make before you fly is what makes the difference.

Your rights in Canada (good to know)

• Ask for help at least 48 hours before your flight. Under Canada's accessible transportation rules, the airline must then provide most services. If you ask later, it must still make a reasonable effort.
• On domestic flights with large airlines (such as Air Canada and WestJet), a person with a disability who needs a support person can get an extra adjacent seat at no extra cost ("One Person, One Fare"). It does not apply to international flights.

Before you leave home

Do:

• Call the airline's accessibility team when you book and ask for pre-boarding, seating together and anything your child needs. Ask them to add it to your booking.
• Ask Pearson about its free Travel Rehearsal Program: a guided walk-through of your route through the airport, booked 2 to 4 weeks before you fly (it is paused for November to January).
• Download Pearson's free activity book and the MagnusCards app, which show each airport step in pictures.
• Practise at home: the line, the security tray, taking off a jacket, the noise of an announcement.
• Pack a "calm kit": headphones, a favourite toy, snacks, a tablet with downloaded shows, a change of clothes.
• Bring a doctor's note or a short letter about your child's needs. It can help at security.

Don't:

• Don't count on asking for help only at the airport.
• Don't book the tightest connection. Extra time is less stress.

At check-in

• Pick up a free Sunflower lanyard: at the information counters in Terminal 1 (Arrivals, near door C) and Terminal 3 (Arrivals, near door G), the Lost and Found in Terminal 1, or at Air Canada and WestJet check-in counters.
• Check in online first if you can, and remind the agent about the support on your booking.

At security

• Look for the Special Assistance lanes with the Sunflower logo, or the Family/Special Needs line.
• Tell the screening officer about your child's needs before you start. Children with autism can be screened without being separated from their family, and you can ask for a private search.
• Explain each step to your child as it happens.

Customs and immigration

• Flying to the US: you clear US customs at Pearson before you board. The free US Mobile Passport Control app can make it quicker.
• Coming home to Canada: fill in your declaration in the ArriveCAN app (Advance Declaration) up to 72 hours before you land, so there is less to do in the hall.
• The Special Assistance lanes with the Sunflower logo are at customs too.

Boarding

• Ask the gate agent for pre-boarding as soon as you reach the gate. Boarding first means a quieter cabin while you settle.
• Tell the flight crew about your child's needs when you board.

Landing

• Waiting for others to leave first can be calmer.
• Keep your calm kit to hand for the walk, customs and baggage hall.
• At Pearson, assisted changerooms ("Changing Places") are in the Domestic Arrivals area of Terminals 1 and 3.

Your ride to and from Pearson

We understand that the ride to and from the airport is part of the trip too. We can adjust for a child with special needs, including autistic children, as long as you tell us when you book: call (365) 358-3131 or email [email protected]. Tell us what helps: a quiet ride, no music, a set routine, a car seat, extra time to get in. We serve families in English and French.

Car seats are free in every car, and if your flight is late we wait up to 2 hours after you land at no extra cost. Pickups run every day from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Book your ride

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