Airlines take cue from plaints, make flights safer for women
Times of India | 22 July 2024
Kolkata: Incidents of sexual harassment reported by women flyers against men seated alongside have prompted the largest Indian carrier to introduce a feature that enables female travellers to opt for seats next to other women travelling on the flight. Another airline also said it had introduced a gender-sensitive seat assignment practice to ensure women travelling solo were able to fly comfortably.
“During web check-in, female passengers get to view the seats that have already been selected by other women. This feature is specifically tailored to PNRs with women travellers — solo as well as part of family bookings. The move aims at making the travel experience more comfortable for female flyers,” said an IndiGo official.
Currently in pilot mode, the feature has been welcomed by women who travel solo, including executives and professionals.
Women who fly frequently and have experienced inappropriate touch — sometimes subtle and others brazen, from men seated in the next seat and at times even those seated just behind — said the choice of a seat next to another woman was a huge relief and made flight travel less stressful.
“The economy seats, while comfortable for short-haul travel, have little elbow room. Many times, molesters take advantage of the proximity and lack of space,” said a communications professional who travels frequently, adding that other airlines could also introduce the feature that would make travel a delight for women.
Air India said it had been brought to the company’s notice that women passengers travelling alone felt uncomfortable when assigned a middle seat and preferred an aisle or window seat instead. The airline said it offered alternative seating for solo female travellers on flights. “In our endeavour to adopt the practice, cabin crew members should be mindful and discreet while offering to reseat guests. In case there are vacant seats available, female passengers travelling alone seated between male passengers can be relocated to an aisle or window seat,” an Air India official said. Sister airline Vistara was the first to introduce the seat-reassignment feature.
Harassment on board flights have come into the spotlight following the molestation reported by a Kolkatan now living in Boston during a transit flight from the city to Abu Dhabi on Etihad on Tuesday. She has alleged a senior executive of a company seated next to her in the business class had first shown her porn clips and then groped her.
In Feb, TOI had reported a similar incident on a SpiceJet flight. A 26-year-old Darjeeling resident returning from Kolkata on a flight to Bagdogra had alleged that a youth seated next to her had touched her inappropriately.