On April 2, International Autism Awareness Day, together with the Anton Tut Ryadom charitable foundation, we are talking about what matters: how to make the sky truly accessible to everyone.

Meet the sensory relief kit — our joint project, which will soon be available on all Smartavia flights. This is the first such kit in the history of Russian civil aviation, created specifically to make air travel comfortable for passengers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We called it «Stress-Free Sky» because that's exactly how everyone who chooses to fly with us should feel.

Why is this important?

For many people with autism, flying can involve intense sensory overload. Engine noise, bright lights, confined spaces, and changes to daily routines make travel challenging. That's why we, together with the Anton Tut Ryadom foundation, decided to create a simple and useful kit to help passengers feel calmer and more confident on board.

When developing the kit, we relied on the experience of autistic people and their families. 471 people took part in the survey. Based on their responses, the foundation's experts selected 18 possible solutions, after which the foundation's beneficiaries and their families tested them for a week and chose the most convenient ones.

What's inside the sensory relief kit

The kit includes three items that help reduce anxiety and make the flight more comfortable:

• Pop-it: soft, pleasant to the touch, a familiar anti-stress tool for many.
• 3D sleep mask: its key feature is an anatomical shape that doesn't press on the eyes, stays securely in place, and creates complete darkness. True personal comfort in your seat.
• Soft silicone earplugs: gently reduce noise to a comfortable level.

How to get the kit on a Smartavia flight

On April 5, the sensory relief kit will be presented at the «People as People» festival. After that, 1,300 kits will be available on Smartavia flights throughout the year.

To receive the kit for free, passengers or their companions simply need to indicate the need for inclusive service when booking a ticket. The kit will then be handed out on board.

Part of Smartavia's inclusive service

The kits are developed as part of Smartavia's comprehensive inclusive service program, which includes: training flight attendants and ground staff in communication practices with autistic passengers, the option to request inclusive services for free when booking, and the world's first «Obnymus» (Hug me) anti-stress pillows for flights.

And now — sensory kits. Because small, thoughtful touches can sometimes change everything.

Here's what our Marketing Director says:

«For us, it's important that the sky is open to everyone. The partnership with the Anton Tut Ryadom foundation is not just a campaign, but a shift in service philosophy. We are learning to speak the same language as our passengers and to make travel comfortable without exceptions, because we believe: true freedom begins where barriers disappear,» shares Yuliana Tyazhelnikova, Marketing Director at Smartavia.

The project by the numbers

According to the Russian Ministry of Health, there are more than 1.2 million children and adults with autism spectrum disorders living in the country. For many of them, the main barrier to travel is not the flight itself, but the lack of clear and considerate service. The new sensory relief kit is another step toward reducing such barriers.