In a sweeping passenger-first overhaul, the Ministry of Civil Aviation mandates free seat allocation, family seating rights, and greater transparency across all domestic airlines
India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued a landmark directive requiring all domestic airlines to offer at least 60% of seats free of charge on every flight a significant shift from current practice, where complimentary seat selection has been largely limited and inconsistent.
The move is designed to guarantee fair access for passengers, ending the widespread practice of airlines charging separately for seat preferences beyond a token few free options at booking or online check-in.
Equally notable is the directive on family seating: passengers sharing the same PNR booking reference must now be seated together, with adjacent seating explicitly preferred by the government.
The ministry has also tightened rules around delayed, cancelled, or overbooked flights, mandating strict compliance with passenger rights. Airlines must now clearly display entitlements on their websites, apps, booking platforms, and airport counters including in regional languages for wider accessibility.
Additional directives cover transparent policies for sports equipment, musical instruments, and pet travel, subject to safety norms.
The overarching aim, the ministry stated, is strengthening “passenger convenience, transparency and uniformity of practices” across India’s aviation sector.
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