The central government has put on hold its earlier directive under which airlines were required to offer at least 60 per cent of seats in a flight without levying any additional charge from April 20, said the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday. The development comes after airlines raised concerns over the new guidelines.
In its order, the ministry said the matter was reviewed after representatives of the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) and Akasa Air met, and highlighted about operational and commercial implications of the directive, 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 per cent of seats free of charge shall be kept in abeyance till further orders," the Civil Aviation Ministry said.
However, it said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will ensure "continued enforcement of other passenger facilitation measures contained in the aforesaid letter, including transparency in seat allocation, co-seating of passengers on the same PNR, carriage of musical instruments, sports equipment and pets and clear disclosure of applicable charges."
What are the seat booking rules?
At present, around 20 per cent of the seats in a flight can be booked free of charge, while the rest are paid. In most of the cases, airlines charge between Rs 200 to Rs 2,100 for booking seats. This depends on various factors, including front rows and extra leg room.
In its order on March 18, the Civil Aviation Ministry directed airlines not to levy additional charges for 60 per cent of seats from passengers in a domestic flight. This direction was issued amid rising concerns over airlines levying high charges for various services, including for choosing seats.
Later, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu had said that the order would further strengthen passenger facilitation measures. "60 per cent seats free of charge, assured seating together for families, and clear, transparent norms for carriage of sports equipment, musical instruments & pets," he had said.
