New Delhi, March 29 Airlines will start offering at least 60 per cent of seats on a flight without charging any additional fees, starting April 20, as well as maintaining a transparent seat allocation policy, according to the aviation regulator, the DGCA.
On March 18, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that directions have been issued to the DGCA to instruct airlines to allocate a minimum of 60 per cent of seats for selection on any flight free of charge, to ensure fair access for passengers.
In this regard, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued the amended Air Transport Circular dated March 20.
A DGCA official said the circular will come into effect from April 20.
The regulator has stated that airlines should ensure that "at least 60 per cent of the seats on any flight shall be offered free of charge".
"Airlines should maintain transparent seat allocation policies and clearly communicate the availability of free seats and applicable conditions on their booking interfaces," according to a revised circular dated March 20.
Furthermore, the regulator has stated that passengers travelling on the same PNR (Passenger Name Record) should, as far as practicable, be allocated seats in close proximity to one another, typically meaning adjacent seats in the same row.
An official said airlines are preparing to implement the new directive.
Currently, 20 per cent of the seats can be booked free of charge, while the rest are paid for.
Generally, airlines charge between Rs 200 and Rs 2,100 for selecting seats, depending on various factors, including front rows and extra legroom, a travel industry executive had said.
Among other aspects, the circular has mentioned that all relevant charges for optional services relating to sports equipment or musical instruments, including any liability conditions in case of damage, should be displayed in a transparent and unambiguous manner on airline websites and booking platforms.
The DGCA has said that the circular will take effect 30 days from its issuance date.
The move also comes against the backdrop of rising concerns that airlines are levying high charges for various services, including seat selection.
Last week, IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet raised strong objections to the decision, asking airlines not to levy any charges for the selection of at least 60 per cent seats on flights, saying the move will force them to hike airfares to recover lost revenues.
In a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on March 20, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which represents the three airlines, had urged the ministry to take steps to withdraw the decision.
Indian airports handle over five lakh passengers daily.