“60% Free Airline Seats” Order Held Back by Civil Aviation Ministry: What Does It Mean For You?

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday 2nd April 2026 has taken a decision to hold back a major issued order. The earlier directive that enforced airlines to offer at least 60% of their total seats to customers, without any additional charge, has been put on hold. 

The decision was announced on March 18, 2026 amid a rise in complaints over add-on charges levied by airlines. Passengers have raised concerns about having to pay extra charges for services like seat selection and priority boarding, which were once considered part of the base fare. The directive proposed that airlines allocate a minimum of 60% of total seats on every flight for free selection without additional charges, to ensure fair access for the passengers. 

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Airlines had warned the government against this directive, citing that the decision may lead to additional fare hikes. Representatives from the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) and Akasa Airlines raised concerns about the commercial and logistical challenges linked to the proposed order, 

Earlier, on 17th march 2026, the Civil Aviation ministry had ordered the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to enact rules and regulations mandating the order. The DGCA had then amended existing rules to incorporate the “60% free seats” order. However, following industry feedback, the government has opted to reconsider the proposal before proceeding ahead with the implementation. 

On Thursday, the ministry wrote to the DGCA asking it to keep the order in abeyance. The official order read, "The matter has been reviewed in light of representations received from the Federation of Indian Airlines (IndiGo, Air India group and SpiceJet) and Akasa Air, highlighting operational and commercial implications of the above provision, including its potential impact on fare structures and consistency with the prevailing deregulated tariff regime. It has been decided that the provision relating to offering at least 60% of seats free of charge shall be kept in abeyance till further orders,”

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Although, the Thursday order emphasized that "DGCA may, however, ensure continued enforcement of other passenger facilitation measures, including transparency in seat allocation, co-seating of passengers on the same PNR, carriage of musical instruments, sports equipment & pets and clear disclosure of applicable charges."

The civil aviation ministry has indicated that the issue will be put under further review before any revised policy is initiated.

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