Everyone needs a helping hand now and then, and now those who have service animals providing that helping hand are getting a helping hand from the Houston Airport System in getting both themselves and their service animals comfortable with coming to the airport.

Monthly, the Houston Airport System will conduct familiarization tours of George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport for four animals and their handlers — either the owners of the service dogs or the trainers from organizations like Canine Companions for Independence, which trains service dogs — to help acclimate both handlers and animals to an airport climate.

Twice in 2018, so far, handlers and service dogs have toured Bush Airport, going through the steps necessary to move from the ticketing area, through TSA screening checkpoints and on to gate areas for boarding. The first two tours also included trips on the Skyway trains, as well as stops at pet relief areas and along walkways throughout the terminals.

“Houston Airports and its business partners strive to be a model of excellence when it comes to customer service and the total airport experience,” said Tim Joniec, who is the managing director of the Americans with Disabilities Act coordination for HAS. “Accommodating passengers of all abilities is our focus, and programs like this showcase our commitment to exceeding customer expectations.”

Along with the service dog tours, HAS has focused on programs and partnerships that will enhance the accessibility for travelers with special needs. Another such program is the Has partnership with Aira, which debuted earlier in 2018. Aira provides a subscription-based service that equips vision-impaired people with special glasses allowing another person to, remotely, see what the person wearing the glasses is looking at and then provide a verbal description via smartphone. HAS has agreed to cover the cost of minutes used by Aira subscribers at Bush or Hobby airports through the end of this year.

As well, HAS is rolling out disability awareness training to help airport employees recognize people with disabilities and more effectively communicate with those individuals.