IndiGo, one of the world’s largest airlines, has introduced a new feature that allows female passengers to select seats next to other women. The initiative, currently in the pilot phase, allows women to view the gender of other passengers on the seat map during check-in. The aim is to improve the comfort and safety of female travelers.
When checking in, women will see pink seats on the seat selection page, which means that the adjacent seat is occupied by another female passenger. This feature is only available to people who identify as female when booking, so male passengers will not have access to this information.
This move comes in response to growing concerns about harassment and assault on board. For example, last year, a passenger on an IndiGo flight reported that a man sitting next to her lifted the armrest and groped her. Similarly, in 2023, another woman reported that she was groped by an intoxicated man while waiting to board an IndiGo flight.
Such incidents are not unique to IndiGo. In the US, similar cases often lead to lawsuits. For example, Delta Airlines is facing a lawsuit after a man allegedly sexually harassed a woman during a flight. The airline is accused of serving too much alcohol and not adequately protecting passengers. Other US airlines such as Alaska, American, Spirit and United are also facing similar problems. There are reports of passengers being groped or touched inappropriately during the flight.
