International Airport Review
Edmonton International Airport has adopted a new service designed for passengers who have visual impairments, as the airport continues to strive to be an inclusive and accessible airport for everyone.
Edmonton International Airport (EIA) has teamed up with Aira, an online service that provides live, real-time assistance to people with visual impairments. EIA is now part of the Aira Airport Network and a designated facility within the Aira online app for users. When a passenger who is visually impaired arrives at EIA they can use this app to call up a live agent who will guide them through the airport by using the camera in a smartphone. The agent can assist in reading information for passengers as well as navigation through the airport and even support safety by encouraging physical distancing from other people where possible. The agent and Aira now have detailed information and maps of EIA, including the ability to determine where a user is inside the airport to help guide them. According to the Canadian Council for the Blind and results in its 2021 report, there are approximately 124,000 Albertans who have mild to severe vision loss.
