Flight attendants in the US are doubling down on their calls for babies sitting on laps to be banned on aircraft, for the children’s safety. A cabin crew union is now calling for a new rule in aviation requiring all passengers, regardless of age, to occupy their own seats when flying.
“We’ve seen airplanes go through turbulence recently and drop 4 000 feet in a split second,” says Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA). “The G-forces are not something even the most loving mother or father can guard against and hold their child. It’s just physically impossible.”
Currently, children under two can fly free of charge sitting on their parent’s lap, The Washington Post reports. Many organisations and experts have questioned this regulation, including the National Transportation Safety Board and the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security.
“Sadly, this has been more than a 30-year priority for our union,” Nelson adds.
The AFA-CWA raised concerns most recently at a Federal Aviation Administration safety summit, advocating for “a seat for every soul” to Congress.
“The safest possible thing is for everybody to be restrained,” says Ben Hoffman, President-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Hoffman believes the safest is for parents to purchase a seat for their little one and secure them in an FAA-approved car seat on aircraft.
The FAA itself agrees: “The safest place for your child under the age of two on a US airplane is in approved child restraint system or device, not in your lap. Your arms aren’t capable of holding your in-lap child securely, especially during unexpected turbulence, which is the number-one cause of paediatric injuries on an airplane.”
Furthermore, because buying extra tickets for infants and toddlers may be expensive, Hoffman recommends that airlines discount tickets for travellers under two to incentivise safety.
Iata’s Best Practices Guide also recommends that parents use a restraining device to keep their children safe in the air.
