The new rule shifts that balance, ensuring a majority of seats can be selected without added cost, giving passengers more flexibility and reducing the need to pay for basic seating preferences.
The ministry said the move is aimed at ensuring fair access, particularly at a time when air travel continues to expand rapidly across the country.
Families to sit together
Another key change targets group travel, a frequent source of frustration for passengers. Airlines have been instructed to seat travellers booked under the same PNR together, preferably in adjacent seats.
This addresses common situations where families and groups are split across rows, often leading to last-minute seat swaps and disputes before departure.
Clear rules on baggage and pets
The regulator has also asked airlines to adopt transparent policies for carrying sports equipment, musical instruments and pets, areas that have seen inconsistent pricing and rules across carriers.
“Carriage of sports equipment and musical instruments to be facilitated in a transparent and passenger-friendly manner, subject to applicable safety and operational regulations. Airlines shall also bring out clear, transparent policies for carriage of pets.”
The move is expected to bring more clarity to passengers who often face varying charges and conditions depending on the airline.
Stronger passenger rights visibility
Airlines have been directed to strictly follow passenger rights rules, particularly in cases of delays, cancellations and denied boarding, while also making these rights more visible.
“Prominent display of passenger rights across airline websites, mobile applications, booking platforms, and airport counters.”
The ministry has also asked airlines to communicate passenger entitlements in regional languages to improve accessibility and awareness.
Fast-growing market
India’s aviation sector has expanded rapidly, becoming the world’s third-largest domestic market, with airports now handling more than 500,000 passengers daily.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the reforms are part of a broader effort to improve passenger experience.
“60% seats free of charge, assured seating together for families, and clear, transparent norms for carriage of sports equipment, musical instruments & pets.”
Consumer impact
The changes are expected to ease travel for millions of passengers by reducing hidden costs, improving seating access and ensuring clearer communication from airlines.
With stronger enforcement and more visible passenger rights, the new framework aims to create a more predictable and consumer-friendly flying experience across India’s fast-growing aviation market.
– With inputs from Agencies.
Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, where she spends her days unpacking money, markets, aviation, and the big shifts shaping life in the Gulf. Before returning to Gulf News, she launched Finance Middle East, complete with a podcast and video series.
Her reporting has taken her from breaking spot news to long-form features and high-profile interviews. Nivetha has interviewed Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu, IMF’s Jihad Azour, and a long list of CEOs, regulators, and founders who are reshaping the region’s economy.
An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha has shared classrooms and newsrooms with journalists from more than 40 countries, which probably explains her weakness for data, context, and a good follow-up question.
When she is away from her keyboard (AFK), you are most likely to find her at the gym with an Eminem playlist, bingeing One Piece, or exploring games on her PS5.
