No extra charge on 60% seats: New DGCA rule for airlines to kick in from April 20

Airlines will offer at least 60 per cent of seats on a flight without any additional charge from April 20, following a directive issued by aviation regulator DGCA aimed at ensuring fair access and greater transparency for passengers.

The move follows an announcement by the civil aviation ministry on March 18, stating that directions had been issued to the DGCA to mandate airlines to allocate a minimum of 60 per cent of seats for free selection on any flight.

Subsequently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an amended Air Transport Circular dated March 20 to formalise the change. A DGCA official confirmed that the circular will come into effect from April 20.

As per the revised circular, airlines must ensure that at least “60 per cent of the seats in any flight shall be offered free of charge”. The regulator has also directed airlines to maintain transparent seat allocation policies and clearly communicate the availability of free seats and applicable conditions on their booking interfaces.

The circular further states that passengers travelling on the same PNR (Passenger Name Record) should, as far as practicable, be allotted seats in proximity to one another, ordinarily meaning adjacent seats in the same row.

Airlines are currently preparing to implement the directive, an official said. At present, only around 20 per cent of seats are available for free selection, with the remaining seats requiring payment.

Airlines typically charge between Rs 200 and Rs 2,100 for seat selection, depending on factors such as front rows and extra legroom, according to a travel industry executive.

The circular also mandates that all relevant charges for optional services, including sports equipment or musical instruments, along with liability conditions in case of damage, must be displayed in a transparent and unambiguous manner on airline websites and booking platforms.

The DGCA has stated that the circular will take effect 30 days from its issuance date.

The development comes amid rising concerns over airlines levying high charges for various services, including seat selection.

Last week, IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet raised strong objections to the decision. In a letter to the civil aviation ministry dated March 20, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which represents the three airlines, urged the ministry to withdraw the move, stating that it could force airlines to increase airfares to recover lost revenue.

Indian airports handle more than five lakh passengers daily.