Airports aren’t exactly known for their chill vibes. Between the blaring announcements, chaotic queues, flickering fluorescent lights, and the overwhelming smell of coffee and samosas wafting through terminals, even the most seasoned traveller can feel a little frayed. For neurodivergent individuals, this sensory overload can be nothing short of a nightmare. The good news? Indian airports are finally taking a cue from international counterparts and making travel more inclusive, one sensory feature at a time.
Let’s start with the coolest recent development: Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has become the first in the country to launch a sensory room. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Terminal 2 now lies a cosy, calming oasis designed specifically for travellers who need a breather from the madness.
“There’s constant noise, unpredictable changes, and long, crowded queues. For neurodivergent travellers, who often rely on routine and predictability, this unpredictability can cause extreme stress and even panic. You’re expected to follow instructions, present documents quickly, and remain calm while everything around you feels like chaos. It’s overwhelming,” says Nisha Kumar, a Mumbai-based clinical counsellor, explaining how airports can be a sensory nightmare.
Enter the sensory room: a quiet, carefully designed space that provides both low and high sensory stimulation, depending on what an individual needs to feel calm and grounded. There’s even a quiet zone with customisable lighting for those seeking a break from harsh stimuli, and another zone filled with tactile surfaces, activity boards, vibrating pillows, and even a ball pool.
The sensory room at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport
The Bengaluru space also has interactive sensory features like spinners, buttons, and colourful gears on the wall. There’s a glowing bubble tube with soft fibre-optic lights and a quiet corner where kids (and adults) can watch and touch a wall that lights up with playful animations—like owls sitting in a magical nighttime forest. These gentle visual and touch-based activities help reduce stress and make the travel experience easier.
“We recognised that air travel can be a complex and overwhelming experience, especially for neurodivergent individuals,” a BLR Airport spokesperson explained over email, without wishing to be named. “With millions of passengers passing through our terminals annually, we wanted to ensure that our infrastructure reflects the diverse needs of all travellers, including those with sensory sensitivities.”
The airport’s larger inclusivity strategy goes beyond this one room. From staff sensitisation programmes to quieter waiting areas and improved wayfinding, the aim is to make travel smoother for passengers with sensory needs. In Bengaluru, they’ve even rolled out the globally recognised Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard for travellers who may need extra help but prefer not to explain.
Airports around the world are stepping up their game to make travel smoother for neurodivergent passengers. Seattle offers peaceful yoga rooms where travellers can unwind before a flight, while San Francisco Airport features mock airplane cabins to help passengers get familiar with the flying experience in advance. These thoughtful additions go a long way in reducing anxiety and making air travel feel a bit more manageable.
This push toward neuroinclusivity isn’t just heartwarming, it’s also backed by a growing demand. According to Booking.com’s 2025 Travel Predictions, almost half (49 per cent) of neurodivergent travellers said they’ve had a negative travel experience due to lack of inclusivity, and 50 per cent feel their options are limited because of it. A whopping 68 per cent want sensory rooms and 74 per cent want more noise-cancelling spaces.
Which brings us to another feel-good development that’ll have you grinning like a Golden Retriever. Earlier this year, New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport partnered with the Animal Angels Foundation and introduced trained therapy dogs to help anxious passengers unwind. These four-legged stressbusters are available for cuddles, pets, and gentle interactions at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, Monday to Saturday, from 10 am to 2 pm. Whether you’re dealing with flight delays, sensory overload, or just need a furry friend to take the edge off, these dogs are there to lend a paw. The initiative is especially helpful for neurodivergent travellers, children, and nervous flyers.
Delhi followed in the pawprints of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, which relaunched its popular airport therapy dogs programme in 2024 after a pandemic break. In collaboration with Pawfect Life Kennel, nine trained dogs—including a rescued Husky, a Shih Tzu, and a Golden Retriever—greet flyers at Mumbai’s Terminal 2 from Friday to Sunday, 3 pm to 11 pm. The result? Less stress, more smiles, and a lot of tail wags.
For Mini Joseph, a Kottayam-based mom to a 17-year-old autistic son, these changes bring more than convenience. They bring hope. “It’s usually super difficult for me to travel with my son,” she shares. “He’s on the spectrum, and airports can be overstimulating for him. And often, airport staff or even passengers aren’t equipped to understand or help. We try to prepare, but something always throws him off. So, it’s wonderful to see spaces like the sensory room in Bengaluru and the therapy dogs in Delhi. I haven’t used them yet, but I’m flying with him from Bengaluru soon, and I’m genuinely excited. Even the smallest help makes a huge difference.”
Joseph’s words echo the sentiments of many families who are navigating travel with their neurodivergent loved ones. The sensory room at Bengaluru airport isn’t limited to those with a formal diagnosis. Anyone who feels overwhelmed is welcome to use it. It’s inclusive, thoughtful, and most importantly, it gives passengers a choice: the chance to pause, regulate, and reset.
Hopefully, more airports across India will follow Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai’s lead in the near future. Imagine a travel experience where you can choose silence over sirens, calm over chaos, cuddles over cortisol. AI tools that whisper gate changes gently, noise-cancelling zones in departure halls, maybe even special fast lanes for families travelling with neurodivergent children can all go a long way. Joseph concludes, “Airports are inherently overwhelming places. There’s only so much we can control about them. But when we add small, thoughtful interventions, we change the entire experience. We offer comfort, dignity, and above all, we offer choice.”
