India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has directed airlines to make at least 60 per cent of seats on every flight available for selection at no additional cost starting April 20. The move aims to improve fairness and transparency for passengers amid growing concerns over rising ancillary charges.

The decision follows instructions from the civil aviation ministry earlier this month, after which the DGCA issued a revised Air Transport Circular on March 20. The updated guidelines will come into force 30 days from the date of issuance.

Under the new framework, carriers must clearly display the availability of complimentary seats and spell out any related terms on their booking platforms. Airlines have also been asked to adopt transparent seat allocation policies to prevent confusion or hidden costs during ticket purchases.

In addition, the regulator has said that passengers travelling under the same Passenger Name Record (PNR) should, wherever feasible, be seated together — typically meaning adjacent seats in the same row.

Currently, only around 20 per cent of seats are generally available for free selection, with airlines charging anywhere between Rs 200 and Rs 2,100 for preferred seating options such as front rows or extra legroom.

The circular further mandates that charges for optional services — including the carriage of sports gear or musical instruments — along with liability conditions in case of damage, must be displayed clearly and unambiguously on airline websites.

The directive comes amid mounting criticism that airlines are increasingly relying on add-on fees for revenue. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), representing major carriers such as IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet, has objected to the decision, arguing that it could lead to higher base fares to offset revenue losses.

With Indian airports handling more than five lakh passengers daily, airlines are now preparing to roll out changes in line with the regulator’s order.