Why do they have significant liability? They have no control over who buys an airline ticket, be it child molester or child. It is up to parents when they book a child to fly alone, to know if their child is mature and assertive enough to protect herself in a reasonably public setting.
The airline cannot be expected to sit with any child that books a ticket to make sure no one touches her. They aren't a parent, they're a transportation company.
The airline cannot be expected to sit with any child that books a ticket to make sure no one touches her. They aren't a parent, they're a transportation company.
Delta requires children under age 14 traveling alone to enroll in their Unaccompanied Minor program, under which Delta takes responsibility for their care. They act in loco parentis in this case, much like a school. They sign for "custody" from the adult dropping off the child at the origin, and have "chain of custody" paperwork throughout the trip, until the child is signed back over to the receiving adult at the end. They are indeed responsible for the child's safety in this case.