City officials used a July 29, 2025 anniversary event at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to highlight traveler services focused on accessibility and passenger comfort, including technology for people with sensory disabilities, facility accommodations for dementia and autism, and the airport’s therapy-dog program.

Mayor Kate Gallego said Sky Harbor has “invested in advanced technology for visually impaired or hard of hearing travelers” and pointed to facilities meant to serve travelers with dementia, autism and other diagnoses. She also referenced an award-winning lanyard program designed to signal when travelers need extra assistance and named the Wings for Autism program as a community partner that helps families learn how to navigate air travel.

Councilwoman Keisha Hodge Washington praised the airport’s volunteer navigator program and therapy-dog volunteers, known at the airport as “navigator buddies.” Speaking about Wings for Autism, Gallego said she “got to meet a family who was able to go to Disney for the first time thanks to the Wings for Autism experience and just learning how to navigate the airport.”

Officials described these services as part of an effort to make Sky Harbor both accessible and welcoming. Aviation Director Chad Makovsky emphasized the airport’s focus on customer experience and on the people who deliver that experience, describing airport staff, volunteers and vendor partners as central to the effort to serve diverse traveler needs.

No policy changes, formal directives or new funding amounts for these programs were announced during the event; statements were presented as examples of ongoing programs and partnerships.