All the data we have, mainly from FAA, show extremely clearly that car seats make no difference on an aircraft. Please provide some verified facts and figures showing that a car seat is "far safer".
United Airlines Flight 232, Sioux City, Iowa.
USAir Flight 1016, Charlotte, North Carolina.
The NTSB (who has been lobbying for thirty years to require child restraints for air travel) has also documented cases of children who have survived plane crashes because they were properly restrained.
You can quibble over the use of "much" safer, but there is no doubt that there is at least a small decrease in the risk of death and a slightly larger decrease in the risk of injury (injuries being more common than deaths) when children are properly restrained during flight.
Even the
FAA doesn't argue that carseats make no difference on aircraft. "{T}he safest place for your child on an airplane is in a government-approved child safety restraint system (CRS) or device."
Is commercial flying generally very safe? Yes. Are there advantages to using a carseat on an airplane? Yes. (Safety in the air, comfort during the flight, and ensuring that the seat is there and ready for use on the ground when you land.) Are lap belt adequate for all passengers? Absolutely not! A lap belt is not appropriate for an infant, period.