Child hidden 'under blanket' on Air France flight

The child was smuggled onto an Air France flight from Istanbul to Paris. Photo / iStock

A child hidden in the carry-on luggage of an Air France passenger on a flight from Istanbul to Paris was older than previously thought.

The woman was arrested upon arrival at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport on Monday (local time), CNN reported.

While originally being reported as a 1-year-old baby, media reports now say the child was between 2 and 4 years old.

AFP reported that "the child, a girl, was travelling with a woman who was in the process of adopting the child from Haiti."

An unidentified source at Charles De Gaulle Airport told the news agency the child was placed in a bag at the woman's feet and covered with a blanket.

The child was noticed moving by other passengers who reported the incident to cabin crew.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Air France said the child did not have a valid ticket and it requested "the presence of French authorities on the flight's arrival" to deal with the situation.

- nzherald.co.nz