Airlines must mandatorily seat children up to 12 years with parents, says DGCA
Upstox
2 min read • Updated: April 23, 2024, 4:39 PM
Summary
The directive has been issued after it was observed that children on some flights were not allocated seats alongside their parents or guardians, the aviation sector regulator said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked airline operators to ensure that children aged up to 12 years are seated with at least one of their parents on the flight. In order to bring this directive into effect, the DGCA said it has revised the Air Transport Circular (ATC).
"Airlines shall ensure that children up to the age of 12 years are allocated seats with at least one of their parents/guardians, who are travelling on the same PNR and a record of the same shall be maintained," the aviation sector regulator said in a statement on Tuesday, April 23.
Also Read: Indigo’s market share rises to 60.5% in March compared to 60.1% in February: DGCA data
The directive, said the DGCA, has been issued after it was observed that children on some flights were not allocated seats alongside their parents or guardians.
The ATC, which has been revised by the regulator to allow children to be seated next to one of their parents, is titled “Unbundle of services and fees by scheduled airlines”.
Also Read: Air India's last Boeing 747, ‘queen of the skies’, bids goodbye to Mumbai
Additional services on ‘opt-in’ basis’
As per the norms listed in the circular, some services like zero baggage, preferential seating, meals/ snack/ drink charges and charges for carriage of musical instruments are permitted. However, such unbundled services are provided on an "opt-in" basis by airlines and are not mandatory in nature, it reiterated.
"There is also a provision for auto seat assignment to the passengers who have not selected any seat for web check-in before scheduled departure," the statement said.
Notably, India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets. The domestic passenger footfall has been on the rise in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. The overall domestic passenger footfall in FY24 is seen at 154 million, ratings agency ICRA said, which has surpassed the pre-COVID-19 footfall of 142 million passengers.
With PTI inputs