Emirates is experiencing one of its busiest periods, as it’s expected to welcome over 900 children returning to Dubai in the coming week . These children will be flying back after their spending their summer holidays abroad, just in time for the start of the school year, using the airline’s Unaccompanied Minors Service.
Through the service, children aged 5 to 11 can enjoy a supervised and safe trip from check-in to destination through the service. Meanwhile, children aged 12-15 years old are permitted to fly alone without using the service at the discretion of their parents and guardians.
The service is most frequently used by British families, followed by Indian, American, Filipino, and French families.
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Over the past five years, more than 120,000 children have used the airline’s Unaccompanied Minors and Young Passenger services. Most of the children who have travelled alone were 11 years old or younger.
How it works
When parents and guardians bring their young flyer to Dubai International Airport (DXB), they can go directly to the Unaccompanied Minors Lounge near the check‑in area. The parent or guardian dropping off the child will need to provide proof of identification, and the guardian will also be asked to sign a permission form.
Once the identity of the parent or guardian has been confirmed, children will then be checked in, where they can relax with video games, free WiFi, and comfortable sofas. The children can also enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks while they wait for their flight, in the dedicated and private space supervised by the airline.
Connecting flights
If the child is transferring from an Emirates flight to another Emirates flight at DXB, the maximum connection time allowed is 8 hours. If the connection time is more than eight hours, this will be subject to approval from the airline.
Children on connecting flights will be brought to an Unaccompanied Minors Lounge to rest and wait before being brought to their flight and handed over to cabin crew. If they need to go into the airport for a meal, they will be accompanied by a specialist from the airline.
A young passenger is not permitted to stay overnight at their connecting airport unless an adult guardian is arranged to meet and care for them at the transit point, and this is subject to Emirates approval.