Baby on board: Local airline waives fees for infant flyers

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino boutique airline Sunlight Air is launching a program where infants up to two (2) years old can fly free of charge.

The Infants Fly Free Program will kickstart the airline's FlyFam campaign on May 30, joining other family-first initiatives like Priority Check-in and Boarding, Flexible Family Seating, and Luggage Assistance.

The waiving of all fees — both base fare and taxes — will be a permanent perk for infant passengers provided they are accompanied by a paying adult. Other local airlines often charge a fixed infant fee.

To avail of the program, passengers need to register their child when booking tickets to any of Sunlight Air's routes, popular ones being Clark and Cebu to Siquijor, Coron (Busuanga), Siargao, and Boracay, and vice versa.

The airline's chief executive officer Ryna Brito-Garcia claimed in a statement that this is the first time an airline in the country is waiving fees for infants, adding that even young passengers "deserve a comfortable and safe first flying experience."

"While the children may not remember the flight, we hope that Sunlight Air can be a part of the memorable experiences our flights take them to, while simultaneously giving back to the families that have continued to support the airline," Brito-Garcia also said.

The airline acquired new ATR 72-600 planes to join its current fleet of ATR 72-500 aircraft last year.

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