The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a directive mandating airlines to ensure that children under the age of 12 are seated with at least one of their parents or guardians during flights.
The move comes in response to reported incidents where children below 12 years of age were seated separately from their accompanying adults, raising concerns over their well-being and supervision during air travel.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the DGCA said,"The 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 traveling on the same Passenger Name Record (PNR), and a record of the same shall be maintained".
This directive, incorporated into the revised Air Transport Circular titled 'unbundle of services and fees by scheduled airlines', aims to standardize procedures across the aviation industry to ensure the safety and welfare of young travelers.
While airlines have the flexibility to offer unbundled services such as zero baggage, preferential seating, meals/snacks/drinks, and charges for the carriage of musical instruments, the allocation of seats for children with their accompanying adults is now mandated by the DGCA.
The DGCA clarified that such unbundled services are provided on an "opt-in" basis by airlines and are not compulsory for passengers.
India's civil aviation sector is experiencing rapid growth, with domestic air traffic witnessing a steady increase.
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