India’s budget airline, Air India Express, has raised the charges for its unaccompanied minor service from Rs5,000 to Rs10,000. These additional charges, paid on top of the ticket price, apply to children traveling without adult supervision.
A representative from Air India Express’s call center confirmed that the service charge for an unaccompanied minor is now Dh450 one way, reflecting a revision made two months ago.
Ten-year-old Indian child actor, Izin Hash, who occasionally travels between India and the UAE unaccompanied, expressed surprise at the sudden increase in charges. He noted that the service had been invaluable for minors like him and praised the staff’s assistance.
Since 2018, Air India Express has imposed extra charges for unaccompanied minors traveling to and from Dubai Airports. Recent reports suggest that these charges have been further increased.
As per Air India’s website, children between the ages of 5 and 18 are classified as unaccompanied minors in the UAE. In other Gulf countries, this category typically covers children aged 5 to 16.
In 2021, the Tata Group reacquired Air India, a state-owned airline, for approximately Dh8.8 billion, more than six decades after initially selling it to the government. The Tata Group originally established the airline in 1932. Currently, the airline is undergoing various transformations, including its merger with the Tata-owned airline group Vistara and the introduction of new uniforms.
