The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was forced to warn an airline to ensure employees follow rules on infant seating. The problem was brought to light following an investigation of a SpiceJet flight where older children (over two years of age) were allowed to sit on parents laps on an overcrowded flight.
Safety rules state that children up to two years of age can fly seated on a parent's lap, those between two and 12 years of age have to be given their own seat. After a manual count a passenger on board a SpiceJet flight from Mumbai to Delhi in June this year complained to the DGCA that the aircraft had more people on board than seats.
The airline was supposed to operate a Boeing 737-900 with 212 passengers and nine 'infants' but was replaced with a smaller Boeing 737-800 that seats 189. Some 23 passengers were offloaded and eight cancelled their tickets, however the plane took off with 189 adults and nine 'infants'.
A SpiceJet spokesperson told local media that the new management of the airline has “acted on the DGCA report that fixed responsibility and heads of some senior people have rolled".