Saved from getting C₹ushed by seats

India's aviation sector is a study in contradiction. While preparations are being made to inaugurate a 'gleaming' Noida International Airport later this month, a pocket-pinching reality continues for the regular flyer: a predatory landscape with the return of fuel surcharges - adding up to ₹2,300 - and hyper-aggressive monetisation of seats. Which is why civil aviation ministry's directive on Wednesday, mandating that 60% of seats on every flight remain free of selection charges - and ensuring passengers on the same PNR sit together - is as welcome as it was necessary. As GoI finally calls out 'dark patterns', DGCA must quickly introduce enabling provisions.

From the airlines' perspective, 2014 regulations permit unbundling for items like preferential seats. Which is absolutely fine. A 2017 Delhi High Court ruling rightly noted that regulators cannot determine specific tariffs, leaving them to market forces. Global norms also favour carrier-choice. In the US, budget airlines charge for all seats, with only a proposed law to seat under-14s with parents. The EU and Britain similarly allow charging for all seats, offering only non-binding guidance.

But there are 'loopholes' thrown in, such as 'auto-assigning' the worst seats to passengers who refuse to pay extra. While airlines should remain free to price premium rows, they must not be allowed to turn majority of seats into 'paid luxury'. Such price-gouging risks a market correction where flyers migrate toward carriers whose USP can well be to 'play fair' than squeeze out the 'last drop' from passengers. Here, DGCA's role is critical. It must ensure that 'market forces' don't become a euphemism for overcharging. For the industry, it means refraining from killing the proverbial golden goose.