Airline Bans Infants from Cabin

Malaysia Airlines has banned babies in the first-class sections of its Boeing 747-400 jets. It also plans to do the same in its soon-to-be-delivered Airbus A380 superjumbo jets, according to the Australian Business Traveler.

Malaysia Airlines CEO Tengku Azmil says the carrier is responding to its many complaints from first-class passengers about crying infants. When asked to clarify if this meant the "no babies in first class policy – so no bassinets in 1st on MAS A380?" Azmil replied "Yup!".

Earlier this month Azmil used Twitter to defend MAS' decision not to install bassinets in the first class cabin of its Boeing 747-400 fleet, as a result of which parents with infants are not permitted to travel in first class, and will have to book in the bassinet-equipped business or economy sections instead.

Azmil said that the airline has received several complaints about crying infants from first class passengers that they "spend money on 1st class yet can't sleep due to crying infants", following this with the admission that it was possible for MAS to fit bassinets to the pointy end of its 747-400s "but many people complain about it."

These 747-400s fly between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney, KL and London, and KL and Amsterdam, with the Airbus A380s due to take over those routes next year.

Sydney and Melbourne are on the shortlist for the MAS Airbus A380 once the first flights from KL to London and Amsterdam are bedded down and MAS builds up what will eventually be a six-strong superjumbo fleet.

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