IndiGo share price, which had jumped more than 3% earlier during the session, dropped 2.7% intraday to trade at Rs 4,300 apiece on the BSE. SpiceJet shares, meanwhile, declined nearly 3% after the announcement.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued several passenger-friendly directives on Wednesday. Earlier, several airlines charged high prices for selecting window or aisle seats, while some also charged for selecting middle seats. Now, airlines must ensure that at least 60% of seat selections are free for all flights, effective immediately.
Additionally, the DGCA asked airlines to ensure that passengers on the same PNR are seated together, preferably adjacent, and to lay out transparent policies for sports equipment, musical instruments and pets.
There is also a renewed push to enforce passenger rights, especially during delays, cancellations and denied boarding, with airlines required to prominently display these entitlements across all customer touchpoints, from apps to airport counters. This information must now be available in regional languages, widening access and awareness.
This comes as air ticket charges soar due to rising fuel prices as the Iran-Israel war led to the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. IndiGo and several other airlines have already introduced surcharges to offset the rising jet fuel prices.
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted SpiceJet four additional weeks to deposit Rs 144 crore in an ongoing arbitration dispute, while rejecting the airline’s offer to submit an “unencumbered” land property as security instead of the payment. This may also have impacted SpiceJet’s share price.The airline had earlier cited a liquidity crunch and proposed to deposit the title deed of a property valued at around Rs 148 crore with the court registry instead of making the cash payment. However, the court declined the request, noting that the Supreme Court had already refused to interfere with its earlier order directing the deposit.
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