Indian budget airline IndiGo introduces 'Quiet Zone' on planes where children are forbidden

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This was published 7 years ago

Indian budget airline IndiGo introduces 'Quiet Zone' on planes where children are forbidden

By Kylie McLaughlin
IndiGo is the latest airline to introduce child-free zones on its planes.

IndiGo is the latest airline to introduce child-free zones on its planes.Credit: Getty Images

IndiGo, India's largest airline in terms of passengers carried, has introduced child-free zones on its aircraft.

Dubbed 'Quiet Zones', children under the age of 12 will be forbidden from sitting in these seats.

Aimed squarely at business travellers, the quiet zones will be located within the airline's premium seats.

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A statement from the airline said "Keeping in mind the comfort and convenience of all passengers, row numbers one to four and 11 to 14 are generally kept as a Quiet Zone on IndiGo flights.

"These zones have been created for business travellers who prefer to use the quiet time to do their work."

The airline also noted that children are not be allowed to sit in seats with additional legroom such as the emergency exit rows, which occupy rows 1, 12 and 13.

Childless frequent flyers were excited with the announcement, hoping other airlines follow suit, and took to social media to express their support.

Others, however, felt that the zone was discriminatory.

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Anshuman Sinha, from Pune in western India, told the Hindustan Times "It means you cannot ask for more leg space while travelling with your children.

'It's clear that they do not want children to disturb flyers paying extra for these seats. But then why permit children in the nearby rows?'

Unfortunately for those who feel discriminated against, the number of complaints far from outweigh those in favour of quiet, child-free flights.

It's not the first time child-free zones have appeared on planes. Back in 2013 Scoot announced it was going to introduce a section behind its business class seats with extra legroom where children under 12 were banned.

Scoot CEO Campbell Wilson said there were still lots of other options available to passengers with kids.

"No offence to our young guests, or those travelling with them, you still have the rest of the aircraft to choose from."

Rival Asian budget carrier AirAsia X introduced the quiet zones on their planes earlier that year, following Malaysia Airlines example, who had long banned infants from travelling in their first class seats after complaints from big-spending passengers who were unable to sleep due to crying babies.

However, Traveller columnist Tracey Spicer feels that tolerance is the key to happy air travel.

"Some of the worst flights I've had have been because of adults, not children. Those who had drunk too much, or were smelly, or too big to fit into their seat.

"It is discrimination, " she said. "Where does it end?"

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