Airline announces new rule allowing women to choose gender of passengers sitting next to them

Female passengers on a major airline will soon be able to pick the gender of the person they’re sitting next to.

The idea for the policy reportedly came about after the airline released a survey asking female passengers what would make travel more comfortable for them.

It comes as the FBI revealed it had investigated 96 cases of in-flight sexual assault last year.

The new measures, however, have met with mixed reaction online.

How will the new feature work?

IndiGo, India’s largest low-cost airline, recently announced it will be rolling out an option for female travelers to check the gender of their seat partner in advance to determine where they feel most comfortable sitting during a flight.

This new, and landmark change, is expected to commence starting August 2024 on all IndiGo flights. The airline flies over 2,000 domestic and international flights daily.

In this new feature, women will be able to view their flight’s seating plan during online check-in where seats occupied by other female passengers will be marked in pink to help them decide where to sit.

However, male passengers will not be shown the gender of their seat partners, and will continue to choose their seats based on what’s available.

Women on IndiGo flights can choose what passenger to sit next to based on their gender.(Getty Stock Photo)

In a statement from IndiGo reported by CNN, the airline shared: “IndiGo is proud to announce the introduction of a new feature that aims to make the travel experience more comfortable for our female passengers.

“This has been introduced basis market research, and is currently in pilot mode aligning with our #GirlPower ethos.

“We are committed to providing an unparalleled travel experience for all our passengers, and this new feature is just one of the many steps we are taking towards achieving that goal.”

Has IndiGo's new policy attracted controversy?

The airline’s new feature is the first of its kind, and it’s being met with mixed reactions online.

The new policy aims to protect women. (Getty Stock Photo)

One user on X writes: “IndiGo Airlines is trialing a feature where women can specifically choose seats next to other women when they book a flight. It’s a good option for women, but I wonder how the airline will manage the inevitable men who say they’re women?"

Another user called for a ‘boycott,’ and described the new measure as ‘discriminatory and disrespectful.’

Others are having a more positive reaction with one Reddit user sharing: “It’s great that they are offering us choices.”

This new measure from IndiGo will hopefully grant women more safety and see a positive change in the larger issue of harassment on planes.