Viral clip of boy screaming on long-haul flight sparks calls for child-free planes

Airline passengers have called for companies to introduce child-free planes after a video showing a young boy screaming on a long-haul flight went viral.

The footage, which emerged over the weekend, showed the child repeatedly screaming, scrambling over seats and running up and down the aisle of the plane during a flight from Germany to Newark.

Passengers described the eight hours of screaming as the “flight from hell” and complained about disruptive children on planes.

The video, posted by artist Shane Townley,​ has been viewed more than four million times and sparked an online debate - with many customers revealing they would willingly pay extra money to fly on child-free planes.

"Ordinarily I begrudge paying more for a particular seating arrangement, but I'd be willing to pay extra for either a child-free flight or for the children and parent area to be segregated from the rest of us and soundproofed tbh lads,” wrote one person.

Another suggested airlines should designate a handful of child-free flights on long-haul routes, adding.

“I would be more willing to pay $50 extra for no kids on the plane than for two more inches of legroom,” they wrote.

But several other people have spoken out to say that people just need to accept that children are noisy.

“Why don't we just ban babies everywhere!?” one person sarcastically commented. “Where will it end, child free flights now child free cafes it's ridiculous! Babies cry, people need to get over it!”

And a parent pointed out that not all children are disruptive on flights.

“No to child free zones in flights,” she wrote. “My daughter is always very well behaved and I find often the adults are worse!!! More about behaviour than age!!!”

In 2016, India airline IndiGo launched a “quiet zone” on flights, banning children under 12 from eight rows of seats.

The Indian budget airline, which flies to 40 destinations, said: “Keeping in mind the comfort and convenience of all passengers, rows one to four and 11 to 14 are to be kept as a quiet zone.”

But there is no indication that major airlines are planning to implement the policy on entire flights.

The British Airways Twitter account replied to a customer saying the airline “wouldn't implement child free flights”, adding: "I hope this is not a disappointment to you."