Ensure children sit with parent: DGCA
NEW DELHI: Airlines in the country have been asked to ensure that all children below the age of 12 are allotted seats next to at least one parent in instances of them sharing a PNR number, according to guidelines issued by India’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday.
The non-binding directions were issued in view of several recent instances coming to the notice of DGCA wherein children below the age of 12 years were not allowed by an airline to be seated beside their parent/ guardian.
“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,” DGA said in a statement issued on Tuesday. “The existing Air Transport Circular 01 of 2021 has been suitably modified to incorporate… with a view to alleviate any such situation in future,” it added.
NEW DELHI: Airlines in the country have been asked to ensure that all children below the age of 12 years are allotted seats next to at least one parent in instances of them sharing a PNR number, according to guidelines issued by India’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday.
The directions were issued in view of several recent instances coming to the notice of DGCA wherein children below the age of 12 years were not allowed by an airline to be seated beside their parent/guardian.
“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,” DGCA said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
“The existing Air Transport Circular 01 of 2021 has been suitably modified to incorporate… with a view to alleviate any such situation in future,” it said.
The regulator also said that it has revised the Air Transport Circular (ATC)-01 of 2024 titled, “Unbundle of services and fees by scheduled airlines” under which, some services like zero baggage, preferential seating, meals, snack, or drink charges, charges for carrying of musical instruments have been allowed.
This means that airlines may continue to charge people carrying musical instruments such as guitars, etc. Such rules exist in several budget airlines abroad such a Ryanair.
It also clarified that the services are not mandatory.
“Such unbundled services are provided on ‘opt-in’ basis by airlines and are not mandatory in nature. There is also a provision for auto seat assignment to passengers who have not selected any seat for web check-in before scheduled departure,” it said.
Headquartered in Delhi, DGCA’S role is to regulate air transport services, enforce civil air regulations, air safety, and airworthiness standards.
This is the second order received by airlines in the past 30 days. In the first week of April, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued an order to airlines to deboard passengers and take them back directly to the boarding area instead of making them go through the entire check-in procedure again in instances of long delays.the decision was taken after several complaints and feedback from passengers were received during the fog season in December.