Emirates said Friday it is preparing to welcome more than 3,500 children travelling alone over the next two weeks as the annual summer holiday travel season begins, with demand rising for its Unaccompanied Minors Service ahead of the new school year in Dubai.

In a press release, the Dubai-based airline said the family-focused service provides dedicated assistance for children travelling independently, from check-in through arrival, ensuring supervision throughout their journey.

Emirates said more than 250,000 children have travelled using its Unaccompanied Minors and Young Passenger services over the past five years. Most of the young travellers are aged 11 years or younger, with the busiest routes linking Dubai to the United Kingdom, Russia, Kenya, France, India, and Egypt.

Under the airline's policy, children aged five to 12 travelling alone must use the Unaccompanied Minors Service and travel on an adult fare. The service can be booked up to 24 hours before departure through Emirates' customer service channels. Young passengers aged 12 to 15 may travel independently at the discretion of their parents or guardians, while families can opt for the airline's Young Passenger Service for an additional fee, subject to availability.

The airline said it has upgraded its dedicated Unaccompanied Minors Lounge at Dubai International Airport, where children can wait for their flights under staff supervision while using facilities including gaming consoles, Wi-Fi, refreshments, and children's amenities.

Emirates said trained specialists escort children throughout the airport, assist with security and immigration procedures, and hand them over to cabin crew before departure. During the flight, cabin crew provide additional support, including assistance with meals, seating preferences, and inflight entertainment.

The carrier added that young passengers have access to a wide range of children's entertainment through its inflight entertainment system, ICE, including films, television programmes, video games, and complimentary toys. Parents may also arrange onboard birthday celebrations by requesting a cake in advance.

Upon arrival, Emirates staff accompany children through immigration and baggage collection before handing them over to their designated parent or guardian after identity verification.

For connecting passengers travelling through Dubai, Emirates said children transferring between Emirates flights may remain in transit for up to eight hours without special approval. During longer connections, young travellers stay in a dedicated lounge or are accompanied by airline staff as they move through the airport. Overnight transit without an authorised adult guardian is not permitted unless approved by the airline.

Emirates said the service forms part of its broader efforts to support family travel and maintain high safety standards during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, as airlines across the region experience increased passenger volumes during the summer holiday season.

Source: PR