GOOD news for travellers! IndiGo allows female flyers to choose seats next to other women for safety

IndiGo’s female passengers will now be able to see which seats are pre-booked by other female flyers at the time of web check-in and select their seats accordingly for safety and comfort. IndiGo is India's largest air carrier with a domestic market share of 60.5 per cent in 2023, according to the data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

IndiGo on Wednesday announced a unique initiative designed to improve the comfort of its female customers during their travels. When checking in online, female travellers on IndiGo will now be able to view whether seats have been reserved in advance by other female travellers. This tool will assist female travellers in making appropriate seat selections.

According to the airline, the function was added in response to market research with the goal of "improving the comfort of travel for female passengers."

“IndiGo is proud to announce the introduction of a new feature that aims to make the travel experience more comfortable for our female passengers. This has been introduced basis market research, and is currently in pilot mode aligning with our #GirlPower ethos,” the airline said in a statement.

IndiGo continued, "We are dedicated to giving all of our passengers an unmatched travel experience, and this new feature is just one of the many steps we are taking towards achieving that goal." This function is designed especially for Passenger Name Records (PNR) containing female passengers, whether travelling alone and as a family.

“It is specifically tailored to PNRs (Passenger Name Records) with women travelers — solo as well as part of family bookings.… (this is) currently in pilot mode aligning with our ‘girl power’ ethos,” the statement added.

The decision was made in response to some of the viral events involving women that have made news in recent months. Last year, a shocking incident was reported on an Air India flight, where a male passenger urinated on fellow female flyers. Later, legal action was taken against the offender.

A similar event occurred in September 2023 when a lady was grabbed aboard an IndiGo aircraft from Mumbai to Guwahati. In July 2023, a professor sexually assaulted a doctor on board while travelling from Delhi to Mumbai. These incidents are appalling.