Big relief for flyers in India as govt mandates 60% seats on flights to be free

In a major relief for air travellers in India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed airlines to ensure that at least 60% of seats on every flight are offered free of charge to promote fair access, according to an official statement.

60% seats to be free

Under the new directive, a majority of seats must now be available without additional charges, addressing long-standing concerns over paid seat selection. Earlier, only a limited number of seats were available free during booking or check-in.

Passengers on same booking to sit together

The government has also mandated that passengers booked under the same PNR (Passenger Name Record) should be seated together, with adjacent seating to be preferred wherever possible.

Other passenger-friendly measures

The ministry has issued additional guidelines aimed at improving convenience, transparency and consistency across airlines:

• Clear, passenger-friendly policies for carrying sports equipment and musical instruments, subject to safety norms

• Mandatory publication of airline rules for travelling with pets

• Strict adherence to passenger rights in cases of delays, cancellations and denied boarding

• Prominent display of passenger rights on airline websites, apps, booking platforms and airport counters

• Information on passenger entitlements to be shared in regional languages to improve accessibility

The move is aimed at strengthening passenger rights and ensuring more uniform practices across India’s aviation sector.