European airline introduces kid-free zone on flights. Is Canada next?

Corendon Airlines is introducing an 'Only Adult' section on some flights, but experts say similar kid-free zones likely won't be coming to Canada skies.

Passengers flying with Corendon Airlines will soon have access to a child-free section of some flights — for a price — but experts say not to expect the same in Canada any time soon.

The Turkish-Dutch leisure airline announced that it will launch an “Only Adult” zone for guests aged 16 and older on its routes between Amsterdam and Curaçao starting Nov. 3.

The zone is intended for adults without children, “and for business travelers who want to work in a quiet environment,” the airline said in a news release Aug. 23.

It will be separated from other travellers “by means of walls and curtains,” it says. The zone consists of 102 seats at the front section of the aircraft, each costing 45 euros per trip or roughly $66 Canadian. A seat with extra legroom costs 100 euros, or about $147 Canadian.

The airline says it believes the “Only Adult” zone will also allow parents to travel peacefully without worrying about how their children may disrupt passengers, but aviation experts are skeptical.

John Gradek, faculty lecturer and coordinator of the aviation management program at McGill University, said the airline may not be able to operationally deliver what it’s promising passengers.

“People would try it once, maybe twice (and then) find out there’s a bunch of operational issues with keeping the cabin secure from kids,” Gradek told Global News.

“It’s a very difficult concept to deliver. I don’t think the people designing these products really understand how complex it can be.”