The Indian government has temporarily suspended a directive that required airlines to make 60% of seats on flights available without selection fees. This directive, announced in March, aimed to alleviate passenger complaints about difficulties in securing free seating and the need for families to pay extra to sit together. However, it faced strong resistance from the Federation of Indian Airlines, which argued that the policy would undermine their ability to generate ancillary revenue, potentially leading to increased base ticket prices. Kumar Saurabh Raj, an official at the Ministry of Civil Aviation, noted that the directive was reviewed due to concerns raised by airlines regarding its operational and commercial implications, including its compatibility with the deregulated tariff regime. Airlines are permitted to charge for additional services, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) can only intervene in cases of transparency violations or discrimination.