NEW DELHI - Airlines in India will need to
keep the middle seat empty if passenger load factors and seat
capacity allow for it, the aviation regulator said in a notice
to domestic and international carriers.
However, members of the same family would be allowed to sit
together, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said
in its notice issued on Sunday and seen by Reuters.
The regulator did not elaborate on what load factors or seat
capacity would require the middle seats to be left vacant. It
said the rules would come into effect from June 3.
The DGCA did not immediately respond to an emailed request
for comment.
Airlines including IndiGo, India's largest
carrier, SpiceJet Ltd and Vistara, a joint venture of
Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, were allowed to
resume partial operations last week after a two-month lockdown
to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
If a seat between two passengers is occupied, the DGCA said,
the person in that seat must be provided with additional safety
gear such as a 'wrap-around gown' apart from the face mask and
face shield that airlines already have to provide to everyone on
board.
The DGCA notice listed other measures, including some it has
previously announced, to protect passenger and crew safety.