India Suspends Rule Requiring 60% Free Seat Selection on Flights
India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has suspended a recently introduced requirement mandating airlines to offer at least 60% of seats without additional seat selection fees. The ministry stated that the decision was taken following operational and commercial feedback from airlines.
The regulation, announced in March to strengthen passenger rights, also included provisions such as seating passengers from the same PNR together, ensuring transparent fee displays, and clarifying rules for ancillary services. However, industry representatives argued that the free seat allocation requirement could disrupt pricing structures and liberal fare systems.
Under the new decision, only the 60% free seat rule has been put on hold. Other passenger-focused measures, including transparency in seat allocation and seating passengers from the same booking together, will remain in effect.
