Keep middle seats empty on domestic flights whenever possible, DGCA to airlines
NEW DELHI: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airlines to allot seats to passengers in such a manner so that the middle seat is kept vacant, provided load factor and seat capacity permit the arrangement, a senior official with the watchdog said.
“However, members of the same family will be allowed to sit together,” the official said requesting anonymity.
These directions will come into compliance from 3 June, the official added.
The new directives wll likely complicate the airlines’ return to normalcy after a two-month closure to prevent covid-19 from spreading. They kick in after India’s airlines resumed domestic operations on 25 May, including at coronavirus hotspots of Delhi and Mumbai, host to the country’s busiest airports.
