From April 20, passengers flying within India will be able to select a majority of seats without paying extra, after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation mandated airlines to make at least 60 per cent of seats on every flight available free of charge.The directive follows intervention by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) earlier this month amid rising complaints over high seat selection fees. Acting on the government’s push, the DGCA issued a revised air transport circular on March 20, giving airlines a 30-day window to implement the changes.Under the new rules, carriers will have to sharply expand the pool of complimentary seats, up from the current level of roughly 20 per cent. At present, most passengers are required to pay anywhere between Rs 200 and Rs 2,100 to choose preferred seats, including those in front rows or with extra legroom.The regulator has also moved to tighten transparency norms. Airlines must clearly display the number of free seats available during booking and outline all applicable conditions on their platforms. The DGCA has stated that seat allocation policies should be open and easy for passengers to understand.In a parallel measure, airlines have been told to ensure that passengers travelling on the same PNR are seated close together, as far as possible, typically in adjacent seats.The decision has triggered pushback from the industry. Airlines such as IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet have raised concerns over potential revenue losses, warning that the move could eventually push up base fares. The Federation of Indian Airlines has also written to the government seeking a rollback of the directive.Beyond seat selection, the DGCA has widened its focus on ancillary charges. Airlines will now be required to clearly disclose fees for optional services such as carrying sports equipment or musical instruments, along with liability conditions in case of damage.The move comes at a time when India’s aviation sector is handling more than five lakh passengers daily, signalling a wide impact as regulators step in to address mounting concerns over pricing practices.