Air India reserves exclusive seats for solo female travelers – 6 per flight

▲ Air India (Photo / Wikipedia)

By Rita

Air India has announced plans to reserve six exclusive seats for female passengers on every flight. The state-owned airline stated that this move is to ensure the safety of women traveling alone, with the seats located in the third row of each aircraft.

According to the UK's Daily Mail, this new policy comes in response to a recent incident where a sleeping female passenger was inappropriately touched by a male passenger seated next to her. India’s safety record has long been a concern for travelers, especially for women journeying alone. To help prevent such passengers from encountering unnecessary harm, Air India has designated a special seating area for women.

However, the new policy has drawn mixed reactions. Some have responded positively, while others have criticized it as disheartening and even discriminatory.

In addition to the exclusive seating area, the airline has also prepared plastic handcuffs to deal with unruly passengers.