The Ministry of Civil Aviation has announced a set of reforms aimed at improving the air travel experience in India, including scrapping seat selection fees for a majority of seats and ensuring families are seated together.
The measures are part of a broader push to make flying more transparent, accessible and consumer-centric.
Under new guidelines issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, airlines must offer at least 60 percent of seats on every flight free of charge, eliminating the additional “seat selection fee” for most passengers.
Until now, travellers often had to pay extra to choose preferred seats, even on standard bookings.
The government has reinforced rules to ensure that passengers travelling on the same booking (PNR) are seated together, preferably in adjacent seats.
Earlier, airlines were directed to seat children below 12 years with at least one parent or guardian. The new mandate expands this principle to cover families and groups more broadly, addressing a key passenger grievance.
Airlines have also been asked to introduce transparent and passenger-friendly policies for:
Carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments
Pet travel
This is expected to reduce confusion and disputes at airports.
The government has directed airlines to strictly follow passenger rights norms, especially in cases of:
Flight delays
Cancellations
Denied boarding
Airlines must prominently display passenger rights across websites, mobile apps, booking platforms and airport counters.
In addition, information on passenger entitlements must be communicated in regional languages to improve awareness and accessibility.
India is now the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, with airports handling over five lakh passengers daily. The latest reforms signal a shift towards a more regulated and passenger-centric aviation ecosystem.