Airlines allowed to sell middle seats

Airlines allowed to sell middle seats

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:02.06.2020

Airlines have been allowed to keep middle seats occupied too if flights have high passenger loads.

Passenger seated on the middle seat will need to be given a wrap-around gown in addition to face mask and shield.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday issued an order which among other things, mandates trying to keep the seat between two passengers vacant.

The order, a fallout of judicial observations, is binding on all airlines, charter and private jet operators, whether Indian or foreign, operating domestic or international flights. It also says “no meals or drinking water shall be served on board except in extreme circumstances arising due to health reasons”.

This will be implemented on domestic and international flights of 2-3 hour duration. On longer flights, packed meals can be served to minimise crew-passenger contact, said an official.

While the DGCA had on March 23, directed airlines to keep the seat between two flyers vacant on domestic flights, the aviation ministry later said this would render airlines financially unviable and that the practice was not being adopted elsewhere.

An Air India pilot moved Bombay high court on the issue as the Vande Bharat repatriation flights were coming almost full.

The HC questioned the practice. Following this, AI moved an urgent plea in the Supreme Court on the issue.

The SC on May 25 observed (in a special leave petition filed by the Union of India versus Deven Yogesh Kanani), that the “DGCA is free to alter any norms he may consider necessary during the pendency of the matter in the interest of public health and safety of the passengers rather than of commercial considerations.”

Following the SC observations, the aviation ministry constituted an expert committee of three eminent doctors — AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, Indian Council of Medical research DG Balram Bhargava and heart surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan — on May 26 “to review and further strengthen the public health related protocols of air travel.”

SAFETY FIRST: A family wears PPE suits before travelling in a flight in Mumbai on Monday