An important decision that would have brought relief to air travellers has been temporarily put on hold. The central government has suspended an order — set to take effect from April 20 — that required airlines to offer at least 60 percent of seats without any additional charge. The Ministry of Civil Aviation informed DGCA in a letter that the decision is under review following objections raised by the Federation of Indian Airlines and Akasa Air, who questioned its operational and commercial impact.
Airlines argued that the rule could affect the fare structure and was not in line with the existing deregulated tariff system. Currently, only 20 percent of seats on a flight can be booked without extra charges. For the remaining seats, airlines charge anywhere between Rs 200 to Rs 2,100 depending on seat location and amenities like extra legroom.
The original directive issued on March 18 was aimed at addressing growing passenger complaints about excessive charges for services like seat selection. The order also included provisions such as seating passengers travelling on the same PNR together, preferably in adjacent seats.
This comes at a time when India has become the world’s third largest domestic aviation market with over 5 lakh passengers travelling through Indian airports every day. The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to passenger convenience, transparency, and maintaining safety standards in the aviation sector.
