In a major relief for air travellers in India, the government has directed all airlines to make sure that at least 60 per cent of seats on every flight are allocated free of cost to ensure fair access, the ministry of civil aviation said in a press release.
Apart from this, the government has issued several other directives for airlines to “strengthen passenger convenience, transparency and uniformity of practices”, as per the official release.
The ministry of civil aviation has directed all airlines to ensure that a minimum of 60% of seats on all flights are allocated free of cost to passengers.
This has been done to ensure fair access, the release said.
Until now, only a few seats were provided free of cost to passengers while booking their tickets or even while checking in for their flights online.
Another key directive from the government to airlines is that if passengers have booked their tickets under the same PNR (Passenger Name Record), they should be seated together.
Passengers are also likely to be seated adjacent in such cases, as the government says that should be “preferred”.
Airlines must also publish clear policies for carrying pets and transport of sports equipment and musical instruments should be handled in a clear and passenger-friendly manner, subject to safety and operational rules.
Strict compliance with passenger rights, especially in cases of delays, cancellations and denied boarding.
Passenger rights to be clearly displayed on airline websites, mobile apps, booking platforms and at airport counters.
Clear information on passenger entitlements to be shared in regional languages to improve access and awareness.
