Turkish Airlines infant and child policy: lap infants, car seats and kids flying alone
A guide to Turkish Airlines infant and child policies. Covers rules for lap infants, newborns, car seat size limits, and children flying alone.
Turkish Airlines has some specific rules for families, including a maximum size of 40×40 cm for car seats used on board. The airline also requires all infants and children to have their own passports. Children as young as two may be able to fly alone with a cabin crew escort, for a fee.
| Topic | What Turkish Airlines says |
|---|---|
| Who counts as a lap infant | Passengers over the age of 2 are required to travel in their own seat and cannot travel on the lap of a parent or adult companion.Source |
| Baby in its own seat | For infants under two years old occupying their own seat, a car-type infant seat must be used. The seat must be no larger than 40×40 cm and have a fastening belt that can be secured to the aircraft seat.Source |
| Youngest age to fly | Newborns under 48 hours old are not accepted on flights. Infants between 2 and 7 days old can fly only with a medical report stating that air travel is not harmful.Source |
| Car seat on board | An infant car seat used onboard must not be larger than 40×40 cm to fit on the cabin seat. It cannot be placed in an emergency exit row or an aisle seat, and should be next to the parent, preferably in a window seat.Source |
| Youngest age to fly alone | Children must be over the age of 2 to travel alone. Passengers aged 2 and under 7 may travel accompanied by a cabin crew member for a fee, at the request of their parent.Source |
| Service required for | The unaccompanied minor passenger service is for passengers aged 7 and under 12 years old. They may travel alone if their parent or legal representative provides written authorization.Source |
| Service fee | The fee for the unaccompanied child passenger service can be paid at the airport and varies depending on the flight route.Source |
| Flights allowed | The unaccompanied minor service is subject to availability. If seats are available for the service, you may proceed with the purchase.Source |
Lap infants and infant fares
On Turkish Airlines, children under the age of two can travel on an adult’s lap. Once a child reaches their second birthday, they are required to have their own seat and cannot fly on a lap.
If you choose to buy a separate seat for your infant under two, you must use a car-type infant seat for them during the flight. The airline specifies that this seat must have its own fastening belt.
“Passengers aged 2 years and over must travel in their own seats. They cannot travel on the lap of a parent or adult companion.”
Official wording, turkishairlines.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
“Car-type infant seats must be used for babies under the age of two; the seat must be no larger than 40×40 cm, must have a fastening belt that fits on the aircraft cabin seat, and must be attached to the seat at all times during the flight and prevented from tilting forward.”
Official wording, turkishairlines.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Newborns and proof of age
Turkish Airlines does not permit newborn babies under 48 hours old to fly. For infants between two and seven days old, the airline requires a medical report that states “There is no harm in traveling by plane” before they will be allowed to board.
According to the airline’s regulations, all infant and child passengers must have their own passports for travel. Be sure to arrange this documentation well in advance of your trip.
“We cannot accept newborn babies under the age of 48 hours on our flights. Infant passengers between the ages of 2 to 7 days are permitted on the flight if you submit a medical report stating that “There is no harm in traveling by plane”.”
Official wording, turkishairlines.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
“According to the new regulations, infant and child passengers must have their own passports.”
Official wording, turkishairlines.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Strollers and car seats
If you plan to use a car seat for your infant on a Turkish Airlines flight, it must be no larger than 40×40 cm to fit in the aircraft seat. The seat must also have its own fastening belt that can be secured to the plane’s seat.
For safety, the car seat cannot be placed in an emergency exit row or an aisle seat. The airline states it should be in the seat next to the parent, with a window seat being the preferred location.
“In order to fit on the cabin seat, the infant carrier/seat must be no larger than 40×40 cm… It cannot be placed in an emergency exit row (all doors and windows)… It must be placed in the seat next to the parent, preferably the window seat. – It should not be placed in the aisle seat.”
Official wording, turkishairlines.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Kids flying alone
Those aged two and under seven can travel with a cabin crew member for a fee, if the service is available. Children aged seven and under twelve may travel alone if a parent provides written authorization.
The fee for this service varies by route and is paid at the airport. At check-in, the child’s legal representative must sign documents and wait at the airport until the flight has departed.
Full details, with the airline’s own wording: Turkish Airlines unaccompanied minor policy: ages, fee and rules.
“Child passengers must be over the age of 2… Accompanied minor passenger: Passengers aged 2 and under 7 years old may be accompanied by a cabin crew member (for a fee) during the flight at the request of their parent or the person authorized by their parent.”
Official wording, turkishairlines.com, checked Oct 21, 2026
Related pages
More on Turkish Airlines:
Same topic, other airlines: