- The Centre has paused the order for airlines to offer 60% free seats on flights
- The mandate faced industry pushback over fare structure and deregulation concerns
- Currently, only 20% of seats can be booked free, with charges for others varying
The Centre has rolled back the mandate for airlines to offer 60% seats on a flight without any extra charge. The proposal has been kept in abeyance amid "fare structure concerns", according to an order issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry on Thursday.
On March 17, the aviation ministry announced that directions have been issued to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to direct airlines to allocate a minimum of 60% of seats for selection on any flight free of charge to ensure fair access for passengers.
The mandate, however, has been revoked after a pushback from the industry. The Federation of Indian Airlines had reached out to the government, highlighting operational and commercial implications of the above provision, including its "potential impact on fare structures and consistency with the prevailing deregulated tariff regime".
"In view of the above, and pending a comprehensive examination of the issue, it has been decided that the provision relating to offering at least 60% of seats free of charge shall be kept in abeyance till further orders," the ministry said.
The DGCA may, however, ensure continued enforcement of other passenger facilitation measures, including transparency in seat allocation, co-seating of passengers on the same PNR, and carriage of musical instruments and sports equipment, among others, it added.
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At present, 20% of the seats can be booked free of charge, while the rest are paid. Generally, airlines charge Rs 200 to Rs 2,100 for choosing seats, depending on various factors, including front rows and extra leg room, a travel industry executive told news agency PTI.
Last week, IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet raised strong objections to the free seat allocation mandate, saying the move will force them to hike airfares to recover lost revenues.
In a letter to the aviation ministry on March 20, the Federation of Indian Airlines, which represents the three airlines, had urged the ministry to take steps to withdraw the decision. Seperately, Akasa Air also appealed the government to scrap the mandate.
(With PTI inputs)
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