Govt Orders Airlines to Offer More Free Seats in New Passenger Rules; Here’s What Changes for Flyers

The centre today asked the domestic airlines to ensure a minimum 60% of seats on any flight are allocated free of charge to ensure fair access. The directive followed complaints of many passengers accusing airline operators of exploiting customers through hidden charges like seat selection charges.

In a statement, the Ministry of Civil Aviation also informed to set a few other guidelines to "further strengthen passenger convenience, transparency and uniformity of practices across airlines".

"Ministry has undertaken several passenger-centric initiatives to enhance ease of travel, including UDAN Yatri Cafés for affordable food, Flybrary for free access to books and provision of free Wi-Fi at airports," it said.

Another key directive is that passengers travelling on the same PNR are to be seated together, preferably in adjacent seats.

Additionally, carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments is to be facilitated in a transparent and passenger-friendly manner, subject to applicable safety and operational regulations. Airlines are also advised to bring out clear, transparent policies for the carriage of pets.

On passenger rights more broadly, the DGCA has directed carriers to display entitlements prominently across their websites, apps, and airport counters. Airlines will also be required to communicate these rights in regional languages.

The set of guidelines is as follows-

• Minimum 60% of seats on any flight to be allocated free of charge to ensure fair access

• Passengers travelling on the same PNR to be seated together, preferably in adjacent seats

• Carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments to be facilitated in a transparent and passenger-friendly manner, subject to applicable safety and operational regulations. Airlines shall also bring out clear, transparent policies for carriage of pets.

• Strict adherence to passenger rights framework, particularly in cases of delays, cancellations and denied boarding

• Prominent display of passenger rights across airline websites, mobile applications, booking platforms, and airport counters

• Clear communication of passenger entitlements in regional languages to ensure wider accessibility and awareness

The directives come as Indian airports now handle upwards of five lakh passengers each day. India is currently ranked third globally for domestic air travel. The government said that this position is driven in part by the government's UDAN scheme, which has sought to open up air connectivity to smaller cities and lower-income travellers.