Miami-Dade Mayor and American Airlines announce new autonomous wheelchairs at MIA

MIA is first U.S. airport with service for travelers with reduced mobility

• Pictured are Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (center at podium); Marie Onga, VP of Customer Experience, WHILL Mobility Services (far left); MIA Director and CEO Ralph Cutié (second from right); Migdoel Rosa, Envoy Air Miami Hub VP (third from right); and community advocates for travelers with disabilities.
• WHILL chairs in Concourse E
• Pictured are Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (center at podium); Marie Onga, VP of Customer Experience, WHILL Mobility Services (far left); MIA Director and CEO Ralph Cutié (second from right); Migdoel Rosa, Envoy Air Miami Hub VP (third from right); and community advocates for travelers with disabilities.
• WHILL chairs in Concourse E
• Pictured are Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (center at podium); Marie Onga, VP of Customer Experience, WHILL Mobility Services (far left); MIA Director and CEO Ralph Cutié (second from right); Migdoel Rosa, Envoy Air Miami Hub VP (third from right); and community advocates for travelers with disabilities.
• WHILL chairs in Concourse E
• Pictured are Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (center at podium); Marie Onga, VP of Customer Experience, WHILL Mobility Services (far left); MIA Director and CEO Ralph Cutié (second from right); Migdoel Rosa, Envoy Air Miami Hub VP (third from right); and community advocates for travelers with disabilities.
• WHILL chairs in Concourse E

On June 21, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and officials from American Airlines, Envoy Air, WHILL, Inc., and the Miami-Dade Aviation Department announced tennew autonomous power chairs that Envoy Air is now usingto transport American Airlines passengers with limited mobility at Miami International Airport (MIA).

This spring, MIA became the first U.S. airport to receive the autonomous chairs developed by WHILL, Inc. Self-driving mobility devices transport customers to their desired gate after they select their destination on a touch screen, providing users with more freedom, confidence, independence, and an improved customer experience. An average of 120 American Airlines passengers per day use the chairs inside concourses D and E at MIA.

Autonomous wheelchairs join a long list of accessibility services available at MIA, including the MIAair tour program, which allows passengers with disabilities the opportunity to practice the travel experience in a safe and controlled environment; accessibility lanes in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) passport control areas; wheelchair charging stations at ten convenient locations; sunflower lanyards free of charge for travelers with hidden disabilities; multi-sensory rooms in concourses D and J, where young passengers with cognitive and developmental disabilities can find a calming place to relax during the travel experience; the Aira Airport Network, a free mobile service that allows blind or low-vision travelers to receive navigation assistance at MIA; and seven service animal relief areas with indoor and outdoor locations.

In recognition of its commitment to "prioritizing and ensuring an accessible, safe, and inclusive traveling experience for passengers with disabilities," MIA was the first airport in Florida, and the second in the United States to be accredited by the Airports Council International (ACI) Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation program, created by ACI in September 2022 based on existing international best practices and recommendations.

MIA is also making an unprecedented investment of nearly $9 billion in future-ready maintenance upgrades, and capital improvements focused on enhancing the customer experience for generations to come. To learn more, visit MIA's Modernization in Action (M.I.A) Plan Web Page