India’s aviation regulator has undone a decision it took ten days ago to disallow paid seat selection.
DGCA notifies 60% free seat selection
When Indian aviation was introduced to the concept of unbundling, the government allowed them to offer 25% of seats on a plane, and middle seats could not be charged for pre-blocking. Then, in 2015, airlines were allowed to charge for seat selection on 100% of seats.
In an undoing of its own rules, and perceivably under social media pressure, the Indian regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviaiton (DGCA) had mandated on March 17, 2026 that airlines make at least 60% of seats on every flight available free of charge, while also ensuring that passengers travelling on the same PNR — typically families or groups — are seated together, preferably adjacent to each other. The move came after a steady rise in complaints on social media about airlines charging for even basic seat assignments and splitting travellers unless they paid extra.
Ministry of Civil Aviation puts in abeyance the free seat selection
The DGCA got a representation from all Indian airlines across the board, who said that with the prices of oil going northward as they were, and the fact that they could only generate revenue off 40% off the seat assignments, the airlines would have no option but to raise airfares to expensive levels than they are even currently.
In a notification last night, they put the implementation of the said notice into abeyance.
Bottomline
The DGCA had earlier put a ceiling on ancillary seat selection by notifying a cap of 60% seats to be kept free of charge. Les than a fortnight later, they have walked back on that notification and allowed for things to stay as they were earlier. So, nothing will change as of now.
What do you make of the recall of the new rules?
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Under normal conditions, giving into the airlines like that would be ridiculous but now isn’t exactly normal.
The real relief would be Pak airspace, which would be good for both the airlines (especially a particular one losing $2.1B a year) and passengers. Any more conversations on that?