The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has recently announced that from 20 April, airlines will start offering at least 60 percent of seats in a flight without levying any additional charge, along with maintaining a transparent seat allocation policy.

According to a PTI report, the civil aviation ministry, on 18 March, announced that directions have been issued to the aviation watchdog, asking airlines to allocate at least 60 percent of seats for selection on any flight free of charge, a move to ensure fair access for passengers.

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Revised rules for airlines Following the directions from the ministry, DGCA, on 20 March, issued the amended Air Transport Circular, which will come into effect on 20 April. According to the revised circular, "Airlines should maintain transparent seat allocation policies and clearly communicate the availability of free seats and applicable conditions on their booking interfaces."

Additionally, DGCA noted that passengers who are travelling on the same Passenger Name Record (PNR) should, as far as possible, be given seats in proximity to one another, implying that adjacent seats in the same row should be allotted.

The circular also states that airlines must clearly and transparently display all applicable fees for optional services related to sports equipment or musical instruments, along with any terms outlining liability in case of damage, on their websites and booking platforms.

At present, only 20 percent of the seats can be booked free of charge, while the rest are paid. PTI, citing a DGCA official, noted that the airlines are gearing up to implement this new directive.

DGCA has said the circular will take effect 30 days from its issuance date.

Airlines' charge for selecting seats Currently, airlines charge between ₹200 and ₹2,100 for choosing seats, depending on several factors, including front rows and extra leg room.

The development comes against the backdrop of a surge in concerns that airlines levy high charges for various services, including seat selection.

Air India, IndiGo oppose DGCA's decision Last week, IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet voiced strong opposition to the decision, arguing that requiring airlines to offer at least 60 per cent of seats without selection fees would likely push them to increase ticket prices to offset revenue losses.

In a letter, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which represents these carriers, urged the civil aviation ministry to reconsider and withdraw the directive. Addressing the Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, the FIA, in a letter on 19 March, noted that DGCA's decision would have "unintended and adverse consequences" for the aviation sector.

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It added, “The financial impact of the directive on airlines will be significant, compelling airlines to recover the lost revenues through increases in fares. As a result, all passengers, including those who may not wish to preselect seats, will end up paying higher fares.”

The association noted that seat selection fees are a legitimate component of airline revenue, especially in the high-cost environment where costs increase year-on-year under the regulator AERA-governed regime that accords full cost recovery plus an assured margin to airports.

It went on to say that while the move might appear beneficial at first from the passengers' perspective, its overall outcome would be counter-productive, given that higher fares would bring down consumer choice and affordability.

Airports across India currently handle more than 500,000 passengers each day.