What Is the Youngest a Child Can Go on an Airplane?

A healthy child can safely fly on board an airplane when she's as young as a week old, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Until the age of two or three, most children are allowed to sit in their parent's laps while the plane is flying. Although your child's physical safety is the most important concern when deciding whether she's old enough to fly, it's not the only item worth considering. When asking whether your child is old enough to fly on airplane, it's worth asking yourself a few key questions about whether she's old enough to behave and respond appropriately so that you -- and the other passengers -- can enjoy the flight.

  1. Your Child's Temperament

    • If your little one is especially active, always opening drawers and finding new ways to stretch items that were only made to lie flat, traveling on a long airplane ride may be especially taxing during the first few years. That doesn't mean you can't take her flying, but be prepared with back-up entertainment, such as storybooks, board games or small figurines.

    Sitting-Still Experience

    • Getting up and running around the aircraft isn't an option during a flight, so it's worth asking yourself whether your child is old enough -- or has enough practice -- staying seated contentedly before booking the tickets. All children are different. Some two and three year olds can sit peacefully in a restaurant or in a waiting room with a few crayons and books, while other five year olds seem unable to remain seated for anything -- regardless of the entertainment or distractions available.

    Sensitivity and Understanding of Her Environment

    • If your little one doesn't have much experience traveling, it's important to consider how she'll react to some of the aspects of flying that could be upsetting to a small child, such as the loud rumble of take off. While a five year old may still find these loud sounds upsetting, she'll at least understand they aren't going to hurt her -- a fact that won't resonate with most 18 month olds. If your child isn't particularly upset by loud noises or new physical sensations, such as the inertia passengers feel just before take off, she may be able to fly at a younger age without melting down.

    Cooperative Skills

    • A child who's eager to please and relatively compliant at age three will probably make a better candidate for air travel than a particularly defiant four and a half year-old. Remember that flying on an airplane requires following lots of rules, including wearing a snuggly-fitting seat belt, sitting upright and respecting the space of the passenger in the next seat. A child who hasn't yet developed the ability to follow rules and directions from her parent, or who actively resists your instructions more often than not, can make traveling by plane particularly challenging.

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