U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Rodney Davis (R-IL), members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today announced that their provision to make it easier for families to fly together has been included in the latest Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extension. The House and Senate are expected to pass the bipartisan 15-month extension in the coming days and the president is expected to sign it thereafter.
With the inclusion of these provisions, airlines will now be required to ensure children 13-years or younger are seated adjacent to an adult or older child traveling with them. Davis and Nadler introduced similar legislation, H.R. 3334, the Families Flying Together Act of 2015, last year, and worked with the committee and their Senate counterparts to address this issue in the next FAA extension.
“The Families Flying Together Act will put an end to the absurdity of toddlers sitting separate or unattended on an airplane – requiring airlines to plan ahead so that families with young children can fly together,” said Congressman Nadler. “For several years, we have tried to force the airlines to enact family friendly seating policies, and to not shift the burden onto other passengers to vacate their seats so that children can sit with their parents. Thankfully, the new FAA bill includes this common sense measure allowing families with small children to travel together safely and reliably without disrupting other passengers.”
“Traveling with young children can already be very stressful for parents and when you can’t sit together on a flight, it only makes this process more difficult,” said Congressman Davis. “All we're asking is for airlines to do a better job of accommodating parents ahead of time so we can make flying a better experience for families and other passengers aboard. I think most airlines have the same goal. This provision is important to updating an industry that continues to see growth in family travel. While my first choice is a long-term bill that includes major reforms that I believe are necessary to improve safety and increase global competitiveness within our aviation system, I am glad this provision and other sensible reforms are included in this extension and I look forward to voting for it.”