India’s aviation regulator has asked airlines to ensure that children younger than 12 get to sit with their parents or guardians, giving the direction after observing that the safety practice was not observed.
“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,” said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a statement.
The DGCA has revised its Air Transport Circular (ATC)-01 of 2024, allowing airlines to charge for services such as zero baggage, preferential seating, meals, drinks, and the carriage of musical instruments. These services are now available on an ‘opt-in’ basis, meaning passengers can choose whether or not to avail of them.
The regulator has also introduced a provision for auto-seat assignment for passengers who have not selected a seat during web check-in before their scheduled departure. This measure aims to streamline the seating process and ensure a smoother travel experience for passengers.
In an earlier development, the DGCA announced in February that 25 per cent of air traffic controllers, ground handling personnel, aircraft maintenance engineers, and aerodrome operations staff must undergo the breath-analyzer (BA) test. This marks an increase from the previous requirement, where only 10 per cent of these workers were subjected to the BA test.
“BA test percentage has been increased from 10 per cent to 25 per cent for employees involved in safety-sensitive duties”, a statement by the DGCA said.
“The DGCA has revised Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) Section-5, Series-F, Part-IV on procedure for BA examination of the personnel engaged in safety sensitive work such as, aircraft maintenance, air traffic control services, aerodrome operations and ground handling services for detecting consumption of alcohol. The revision in the CAR will further enhance the level of safety and is an effective step in view of an increase in air traffic and ground movements at airports”, the statement added.
