Child Safety Seat Rule for Planes Rejected

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday rejected recommendations to require child safety seats on airliners but ruled that airlines must at least give parents the option of using the restraint devices for children under the age of 2.

The FAA said its analysis showed that many low- and middle-income people would be unable to fly if their costs were raised by being required to buy an extra ticket to accommodate the seat, and that more infants and toddlers would die on highways when their parents opted to drive instead.

Children under age 2 may now fly free if they are held on parents’ laps. An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 of them fly each day.

The rule goes against the recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board, the Assn. of Flight Attendants, the airline industry and several members of Congress who say that allowing babies to be held on laps can be deadly in turbulence or crashes.

The Air Transport Assn., which represents major airlines, had recommended that the seats be mandatory, but the industry had stopped short of imposing a rule. Such a policy would amount to a major fare increase for families.

The final rule, effective in mid-October, requires airlines to allow the seats on board. The safety seats for infants and toddlers now approved for automobiles are also certified for airplane use.