Infant car seats

Infants (Booked Seat) Infants with a booked seat (instead of travelling on a passenger’s lap) can sit in their car seat for the flight, providing that the equipment being used has been certified by international aviation regulators to be used onboard.

Other types of comfort seating aids for children are not permitted. The seat must not require the use of a three-point harness to secure it to the aircraft seat. Rear facing car seats are not allowed. The passenger should be advised that if for any reason the car seat cannot be fully secured, it may have to be placed in the hold. In these circumstances, the infant will have to be secured to the passenger’s lap whenever the seat belt sign comes on.

If the car seat cannot be secured onboard, the crew will endeavour to stow it for taxi, take-off, landing and turbulence. If it cannot be stowed the cabin crew may ask for it to be placed in the hold.

It is the passenger’s responsibility to be familiar with and fit their own car seat. The cabin crew will ensure it is secured.

Acceptance and Fitting of Car Seats for use on Board Approved car seats must:

• Be designed to be secured by means of a normal aircraft single lap strap

• Have a separate 5-point restraining harness

• Not exceed the dimensions of the aircraft seat, and should fit into an area of 43cm x 43cm (17ins x 17ins)

• Must be secured to its host seat at all times of the flight.

• Display one of the following labels:

  • EU - The child seat must have two approval markers:

    • Label ECE R44-04 (the last two digits must be 03 or 04 or a higher number), and Qualification sign* attesting that the child seat is approved for use in aircraft. This qualification sign is issued by an organisation conducting testing of child seats for use in aircraft. The technical standard must be acceptable to the airline and to its National Aviation Authority.

    • Approval Labelling (*) There is no regulation governing the appearance of this qualification sign or whether it should be a label, another mark or a sentence in the manufacturer’s instructions. If in doubt, check the manufacturer’s instructions. Alternatively, contact the National Aviation Authority or the child seat manufacturer. 'Qualification Procedure for Child Restraint Systems for Use in Aircraft' (TÜV Doc.: TÜV/958-01/2001). The older version of the label may contain the word ‘Tested’ or Geprüft’. The new version contains the term ‘Certified’ or ’Zertifiziert’.

  • FAA

    • Child seat approved for use in motor vehicles and in aircraft according to US FMVSS No 213 must bear one or two labels displaying these two sentences (the text is usually merged on one label): ‘This child restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards’ and ‘This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft’ - this sentence is in red letters.

  • Australia/New Zealand

    • Child seat approved for use in motor vehicles and in aircraft in accordance with the below technical standards and bearing the label with the green part ‘For Use in Aircraft’: Australian Standard AS1754 New Zealand Standard NZS1354 Joint Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS1754

  • Canada

    • Child seat approved in motor vehicles and in aircraft according to the Canadian technical standard CMVSS 213/213.1 and bearing the Canadian National Safety Mark.