NEW DELHI: Airlines have been barred from selling unserviceable seats to passengers. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday warned of taking strict action against carriers if they are still found doing so.
“…it has come to notice of DGCA that some scheduled carriers are offering unserviceable seats on their scheduled international/ domestic operations. This practice is not only inconvenient to travellers, but also a serious safety concern,” DGCA chief Arun Kumar issued this directive to all Indian carriers.
“(As per rules) all materials including aircraft seat shall conform to approved design specifications. The installation of any part failing to meet the intended design requirements, degrades the requirements of airworthiness. In view of the above, it is hereby advised to ensure that airline shall not book passengers beyond the serviceable seats meeting the approved design specification available in the aircraft, released for scheduled services. Any non-compliance in this regard shall be viewed seriously,” Kumar’s warning added.
An industry insider, however, cautioned that some Indian carriers may try to misuse this order.
“Airlines globally overbook to factor in last-minute no shows by a few passengers. In case there are no last minute no shows, then the problem of denied boarding happens. Airlines are supposed to give alternate flight, hotel accommodation (if alternate flight not within a few hours) and give monetary compensation to affected passengers. Now airlines here should not avoid paying this compensation on the grounds of unserviceable seats to cover up for overbooking,” the industry veteran said.
In the past few months, the regulator has been conducting surprise inspections to check aircraft cabin interiors.
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