The DGCA's 60% Free Seat Rule That Airlines Killed in 2026
By Aarav Sharma (Aarav Sharma covers Indian airline operations, airport infrastructure and route economics. He writes about Tier-1 and Tier-2 airport developments, IndiGo and Air India fleet strategy, and the unsung Indian aviation hubs travellers should know about.) · Published · 10 min read
DGCA tried to force airlines to offer 60% of seats for free. Airlines pushed back hard, the rule got stalled, and passengers are mostly back to paying for decent seats. Here's the full story.
TL;DR — the short version
In early 2026, the DGCA issued a directive requiring Indian airlines to make at least 60% of economy seats available for free selection at the time of booking. Airlines — primarily IndiGo — pushed back through aviation ministry channels, and the directive was effectively suspended pending review. As of June 2026, you are largely back to the old reality: most desirable seats cost extra, and the genuinely free pool is small. The practical workarounds are in our companion piece on how to actually get a free seat.
What the March 2026 DGCA mandate actually said
The DGCA's circular, issued in the first quarter of 2026, was a direct response to an avalanche of passenger complaints about mandatory seat fees on budget carriers. The core requirement: airlines operating scheduled domestic services must keep a minimum of 60% of seats in each cabin class available for selection without any additional charge, at the time of initial booking.
The intent was clear enough. Passengers were effectively being forced to pay ₹200–₹1,200 per seat per leg just to get a window or aisle, or to sit with family members. The DGCA's position was that seat assignment is part of the core product of air travel, not an upselling opportunity. The 60% threshold was designed to ensure at least some decent options remained in the free pool — not just the dreaded middle seat in row 28.
For a typical IndiGo A320 with around 180 economy seats, 60% would mean roughly 108 seats in the free pool. In practice, IndiGo's pre-directive free pool on popular routes was often closer to 20–30 seats, usually the least desirable positions.
How airlines killed it (or at least delayed it)
IndiGo moved fast. The airline argued, through industry body representations and reportedly through direct Ministry of Civil Aviation engagement, that the directive would materially damage its ancillary revenue model — a model that, by IndiGo's own disclosures, contributes a significant portion of per-passenger yield. The argument was partly economic (seat fees cross-subsidise lower base fares) and partly operational (certain seat categories like exit rows and bulkheads have genuine functional constraints that justify fees).
Air India Express and Akasa Air, both running tighter balance sheets than the listed IndiGo, had similar concerns. Air India (full-service) was less affected since it already offered more free selection options as part of its product positioning.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, caught between passenger-rights pressure and not wanting to destabilise a commercially fragile sector, opted for what bureaucracies often do: kick it to a committee. The directive was put under 'review' — which in Indian aviation regulation-speak means it's in limbo. Enforcement was paused, and airlines quietly reverted to or maintained their pre-directive seat-fee structures.
So: no 60% rule in force. Not dead, technically. Just sleeping.
Why airlines are particularly protective of seat-fee revenue
Indian LCC economics are genuinely tight. Fuel costs are high, airport charges have risen, MRO is expensive, and base fares have been under competitive pressure for years. Ancillary revenue — seat selection, excess baggage, meals, priority boarding — is one of the few levers airlines can pull without immediately losing market share.
IndiGo, to its credit, is transparent about this in its investor communications. The airline's ancillary revenue per passenger has grown steadily, and seat fees are a meaningful chunk of that. Removing or capping them would, by the airline's own arithmetic, either mean higher base fares or lower margins in a sector that can't afford lower margins right now.
The passenger-experience counterargument is real too: a family of four being forced to pay ₹800–₹1,500 per leg just to sit together is not a small inconvenience. For routes where the base fare is ₹2,000, that's a 20–30% add-on before you've touched the airport. The DGCA wasn't wrong to push back on this — the direction of the policy is right, even if the implementation got messy.
What the current status means for your booking
Practically speaking, you should assume you'll pay for a chosen seat on IndiGo, Air India Express, and Akasa if you want anything beyond the dreaded back-row middle. The free pool that does exist is released in a pattern — more seats open up as the flight fills and the airline's revenue-management system decides it no longer needs to hold them for paid selection. This is why checking in at web check-in open time (usually 24–48 hours before departure) can snag you a reasonable seat for free. But that's a workaround, not a right.
Air India (full-service, not Express) is somewhat better — it offers more complimentary selection options tied to frequent-flyer status and fare class. If you're a Flying Returns member with some history, you often get a wider free pool.
Our separate piece walks through the practical tricks to get free seats on each airline in detail. For finding flights where the total cost including likely seat fees fits your budget, FlightGPT's flight search lets you compare across airlines and dates.
Will the 60% rule come back?
Probably, in some form, eventually. The DGCA has flagged this as a consumer-protection priority and the political optics of being seen as soft on airline fees are not great. But Indian aviation regulation moves slowly, and when it does move, airlines have shown they can mount effective resistance. A revised circular with a more defensible threshold — maybe 40%, maybe tiered by aircraft size — seems more likely than the original 60% mandate simply being reinstated as-is.
What passengers can do in the meantime: check the DGCA's passenger-rights page (dgca.gov.in) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation's announcements. If the rule does come back into force, airlines' Manage Booking portals should reflect it. Don't wait for the airline to tell you proactively.
Filing a complaint if you feel the current seat-fee practice is unreasonable
The DGCA's Air Sewa platform (airsewa.gov.in) accepts passenger complaints, including those about seat-fee practices. Complaints don't always move fast, but they do contribute to the data the regulator uses when building its case for future directives. If you feel you were charged for a seat that should have been in the free pool, or that the free pool was effectively non-existent on a flight, logging a complaint is worth the five minutes it takes.
Keep your booking confirmation, the seat-selection screen (screenshot it), and your boarding pass. The more specific the complaint, the more useful it is to the DGCA's tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Is the DGCA 60% free seat rule currently in force in India?
As of June 2026, no. The directive was issued in early 2026 but effectively suspended pending review after airline pushback. Airlines are currently operating under their pre-directive seat-selection policies. Check dgca.gov.in for any updates before your next booking.
Can IndiGo charge me for seat selection even if I didn't ask for a specific seat?
IndiGo's current policy charges for advance seat selection on most fare classes. If you don't pay, the system assigns you a seat at check-in from whatever is left in the free pool. You can also try selecting at web check-in open time (48 hours before departure on IndiGo) — some decent seats may be available at no charge at that point.
Which Indian airline offers the most free seat options right now?
Air India (full-service) generally has the most generous free-selection policy, especially for Flying Returns members. Akasa Air has a slightly broader free pool than IndiGo on comparable routes, though this varies. Air India Express is closest to IndiGo's model. Always check the seat map during booking rather than assuming.
Are families with young children exempt from seat-selection fees?
The DGCA has, in various directives, stated that airlines should not separate families with young children without their consent. In practice, airlines are expected to seat parents and children under 12 together at no extra charge, but enforcement is inconsistent. If you're travelling with young children and are asked to pay to sit together, cite the DGCA's guidance and escalate to the airline supervisor if needed.
What's the fee range for choosing a seat on IndiGo for a domestic flight?
As of mid-2026, IndiGo's domestic seat fees typically range from around ₹200–₹1,200 per seat per sector, with aisle and window seats at the lower end and preferred rows (bulkhead, exit row, forward cabin) at the higher end. These numbers change — always check the current fee during the booking flow on indigo.in.
Can I complain to DGCA about being charged for a seat?
Yes. Use the Air Sewa portal at airsewa.gov.in. Include your booking reference, the airline, the date of travel, and a description of what you were charged. DGCA complaints about seat fees are aggregated and do influence future regulatory action, even if individual resolution isn't guaranteed.