TWO experts on Monday gave Newsday varying views on a father's complaint that during a flight to Trinidad and Tobago, his autistic child had to stay strapped into her own seat instead of being allowed the comfort of sitting with her grandmother.
The incident was widely reported over the weekend on social media.
Ramesh Lutchmedial, retired director general of the TT Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Newsday columnist, told Newsday the primary responsibility of an aircraft's cabin crew was the safety of passengers. This included briefing them about emergency procedures, including how to put on their life jackets and seatbelts, and the location of exit doors.
"The law says every person over the age of two must occupy their own seat," he said.
"Prior to the take-off of the aircraft, the senior flight attendant has to inform the captain that the cabin is safe for take-off because all the passengers are seated and their seat belts are fastened.
"Likewise, when it is coming to landing and they put on their seatbelt sign, the captain would make an announcement and say, 'Kindly fasten your seatbelts.'
"Then you would make your physical inspection and, in fact, they do it twice to make sure all passengers are seated."
The air hostess would then inform the captain the cabin was safe and secure for landing, Lutchmedial said.
He said while the autistic child in the current case wanted to sit with her grandmother, that would be in breach of the safety regulations.
"According to the Civil Aviation Act, it is an offence to disobey the instructions of a cabin crew member. Likewise, to be abusive or rude is also an offence."
Lutchmedial said the child's father allegedly used curse words at staff, and that was an offence.
"Let's say the flight attendant ignored the rule and allowed the child to sit on the grandmother's lap for the landing and something untoward happened and the child bounced around the cabin and became seriously injured. Who's going to assume responsibility?
"Suppose, on coming to land, the aircraft encounters some turbulence and the child is thrown around the cabin. Who is going to take responsibility?"
Lutchmedial said in his professional opinion, the flight attendant had been correct in her conduct, though the child's father had alleged otherwise.
"The flight attendant has to be very assertive, especially when there is resistance to comply with a valid instruction.
"CAL focuses a lot on customer-service training, especially with its flight attendants. In my professional opinion, the flight attendant acted very professionally, very appropriately in the interest of safety.
"Look at it the other way: If she ignored the fact of this child without a seatbelt fastened and something happened and the child is rolling about and gets injured, they would want to sue the airline and say, 'You were supposed to insist.' That has happened before in other jurisdictions."
Noting comments on social media sympathetic to the child's parents, he said the scene did not unroll in a maxi taxi or a car but
