In a landmark move for India’s air travellers, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, issued fresh directives through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), mandating that airlines allocate a minimum of 60% of seats on any flight free of charge, allowing passengers to select them without paying additional fees.
The directive also requires that passengers travelling on the same Passenger Name Record (PNR) be seated together, preferably in adjacent seats, to reduce the inconvenience faced by families and group travellers who often have to request co-passengers to swap seats sometimes leading to uncomfortable situations or disputes before take-off.
The sweeping package of reforms further includes transparent policies for carrying pets and sports equipment, strict adherence to passenger rights during delays and cancellations, the display of passenger entitlements in regional languages. While travellers and consumer advocates have broadly welcomed the directives, airline stocks reacted negatively shares of InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) pared gains and SpiceJet shares fell after the aviation watchdog announced the new rules.
From Hidden Fees To Fair Skies
The move comes amid growing complaints from passengers about hidden costs, particularly fees for choosing preferred seats such as window, aisle, or those with extra legroom. The scale of the change is significant: at present, only 20% of seats can be booked free of charge, while the rest are paid, meaning the new directive represents a threefold increase in freely accessible seats overnight.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said the move is intended to “strengthen passenger convenience, transparency and uniformity of practices across airlines.” Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu outlined the breadth of the reforms in a statement: “To further strengthen passenger facilitation measures, we have issued important directions: 60% seats free of charge, assured seating together for families, and clear, transparent norms for carriage of sports equipment, musical instruments and pets.” He added that India has established itself as the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, with air travel under the UDAN scheme evolving from an elite privilege to an inclusive service, with Indian airports now handling over five lakh passengers daily.
Beyond seating, airlines have also been directed to facilitate the carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments in a transparent, passenger-friendly manner, implement clear policies for transporting pets and strictly comply with the passenger rights framework, particularly in situations involving delays, cancellations and denied boarding.
A Growing Market, But Long-Standing Grievances
Currently, most airlines follow a dynamic pricing model for seat selection, where preferred seats come at an extra cost, with only a limited number of seats, usually middle seats towards the rear, available without additional charges. The frustration has been widely felt: passengers have long taken to social media to complain about paying ₹500–800 simply to select a seat, or being separated from young children during boarding.
To improve awareness further, airlines will have to prominently display passenger rights across their websites, mobile applications, booking platforms and airport counters, with entitlements communicated in regional languages to ensure wider accessibility. This is a particularly meaningful step in a country as linguistically diverse as India, where millions of first-time flyers, many of them beneficiaries of the UDAN scheme, may be unfamiliar with their rights.
However, not everyone is convinced the benefits will fully materialise. Some observers warn that if 60% of seats must be offered free, airlines could simply increase base fares for the remaining 40% to compensate, meaning the final cost to passengers might not change substantially and that the government must monitor this closely. The DGCA’s directives, notably, do not prescribe a specific enforcement or penalty mechanism and industry watchers say robust monitoring will be the true test of whether these rules translate from paper to practice.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
For far too long, what should be a simple act, booking a seat on a flight and sitting beside your family, has been turned into an exercise in navigating hidden charges and fine print. The DGCA’s new directives are an overdue and empathetic acknowledgement that air travel in India is no longer a luxury; it is a daily reality for millions of people who deserve to be treated with dignity and fairness.
The very idea that a parent had to pay extra to be seated next to their child or that a group of friends on the same booking could be scattered across a cabin reflects a system that had quietly normalised exploitation. Transparent policies for pets, sports equipment, and musical instruments may seem like niche concerns, but they speak to the same principle: that a passenger’s rights should not be eroded quietly, one hidden fee at a time.
The inclusion of regional-language communication is a particularly thoughtful and inclusive step in a country where the aviation sector is reaching citizens far beyond metro cities. That said, intent without enforcement is merely goodwill. The DGCA must now build a credible, accessible grievance mechanism, one that any passenger, whether flying from Delhi or a small UDAN-connected airstrip, can use to hold airlines accountable.
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