Govt wants airlines to limit number of preferred seats on flights

Whlle IndiGo giving passengers choice to pay for seat of choice on all its flights, Jet Airways offering option on its international flights

The civil aviation ministry wants airlines to cap the number of preferred seats which passengers can pre-book with an optional fee.

Private airlines including IndiGo and Jet Airways have begun charging a fee for preferred seats after the government allowed unbundling of services enabling the carriers to charge separately for seats, meals, check-in baggage amongst others.

Whlle IndiGo is giving passengers choice to pay for seat of choice on all its flights, Jet Airways is offering the option on its international flights.

Addressing media today civil aviation secretary K N Srivastava said the airlines should identify number of such preferred seats on a flight. Asked specifically on what action the government would take in respect of non compliance by airlines, he said no time frame had been set for implementation of this suggestion.

Srivastava met chief executive officers and senior executives of airlines today to discuss wide ranging of issues concerning the industry. He told media persons that the government had now decided to extend the deadline for phasing out of foreign pilots from year end to 2016 end.

Currently Indian airlines employ 324 expatriate pilots. As of December 2012 Jet had the highest number of expat pilots (93), followed by SpiceJet (63) and IndiGo (56). Non-scheduled operators, or charter companies, have hired 90 expat pilots

Srivastava also discussed with airline heads the plan to create an ombudsman to help redress grievance of passengers. "The airlines have agreed in principle for creation of ombudsman. We have to share draft plan with them for comments,'' a senior government official said.