It’s Cool to Fly American turns ten this year. The program, commonly referred to as ICTFA works in close partnership with American Airlines Abilities Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG) and the HollyRod Foundation to provide resources for families with a loved one living with autism.
Celebrating A Successful Ten Years
This year marks the 10th anniversary if the ICTFA program. Bruce Sickler, Customer Care Manager in Global Reservations and Program Director for ICTFA, started the program back in 2014. He saw the need to bring solutions to those with special needs when traveling. During events, families can do a “practice run” of their entire air travel experience. This includes check in, going through security and boarding the aircraft. Once on the plane, the pilots will taxi out to an active runway and perform a simulated takeoff. We know the challenges that children with autism may experience in our airports and during a flight,” said Julie Rath, Senior Vice President of Airport Operations at American Airlines. “This program not only helps reduce anxiety and discover the fun and adventure of travel, but it also enlightens our team members to travelers with special needs which, in turn, helps us promote a more inclusive and compassionate environment for all.” To date the program has assisted over 8,500 participants across 62 locations.