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Women can now avoid sitting beside men on flights provided by India\u2019s biggest airline, courtesy of a new booking feature. <\/p>\n
While traveling with IndiGo, women will be shown a pink icon during online check-in indicating where other women are sat. <\/p>\n
As a result they can tailor their seat selection to avoid being sat beside a man. The feature is only visible to female passengers.<\/p>\n
IndiGo\u2019s CEO, Pieter Elbers, said the program was based on feedback from customers<\/a> as well as emerging technology allowing the feature to become a reality. <\/p>\n Elbers explained to CNBC\u2019s Street Signs Asia<\/a><\/em>: \u201cPart of our philosophy really is a courteous and hassle-free service<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe brought it up as a test \u2026 and actually it has resounded very, very well<\/a>. I think it speaks to the innovation of IndiGo and the fact that we move forwards and not only have affordable and low costs, but also put a lot of emphasis on our customer experience.\u201d <\/p>\n While Elbers said the company doesn\u2019t currently have data on how many women are using the feature, he cited strong individual reactions from customers.<\/p>\n IndiGo, which operates around 2,000 flights a day and flew 28 million customers in its most recent quarter, told CNBC<\/a> the features is designed to \u201cmake the travel experience more comfortable for our female passengers.\u201d<\/p>\n IndiGo, which dominates the market<\/a> for domestic flights in India, added the feature is currently in pilot mode and aligns with the company\u2019s \u201c#GirlPower ethos.\u201d<\/p>\n IndiGo did not immediately respond to Fortune\u2019s<\/em> request for comment.<\/p>\n On X, the Elon Musk-owned platform formerly known as Twitter<\/a>, opinion is divided. While some people appreciate the feature, saying they\u2019ve felt \u201cdiscomfort\u201d on flights for this reason, others asked whether it was necessary.<\/p>\n According to the U.S. State Department<\/a>, women face a higher level of threat to their personal security while traveling in India. It writes: \u201cDo not travel alone, particularly if you are a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n The state department directs further enquiries to its advice for women travelers, which includes notes such as not using a title while booking accommodation and finding nearby police stations and hospitals in case of an emergency. <\/p>\n While women are warned to exercise caution while on the ground, evidence suggests they should also be aware of risks in the air. <\/p>\n Data about sexual assault on flights is difficult to come by: The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) keeps a tab on \u2018unruly\u2019 passenger reports<\/a> but doesn\u2019t specify the nature of these incidents. <\/p>\n This data peaked in 2021 following the COVID pandemic at 5,973 reports for the year, subsequently falling to 897 for the year 2024 to date.<\/p>\n Likewise following the establishment of the National In-Flight Sexual Misconduct Task Force (Task Force) in 2019, data illustrates the number of incidents nearly doubled<\/a> from 2017 (63 incidents) to 2020 (119). <\/p>\n While information about incidents in the past four years is less available, the FBI warned in April<\/a> of this year that the \u201cserious federal crime\u201d is on the rise. <\/p>\n An FBI study in 2022<\/a> outlined the problem.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerally, sexual crimes are committed by males, and the same holds true when they happen on airplanes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMost often, an assailant sits immediately next to the victim and takes advantage of this proximity. Victims likely sit in a middle or window seat, with the offender closer to or on the aisle, effectively barricading her so she will have to walk past the perpetrator to get out,\u201d writes Special Agent Wess Brooker. <\/p>\n While some may query how possible it is for an individual to commit an assault in a closely monitored environment (planes packed with other passengers and flight attendants) in a short period of time (flights last a matter of hours), Brooker points out this merely accelerates the grooming and assault process.<\/p>\n One example, Brooker notes, is when an individual assaulted two female passengers by sitting beside them in unassigned seating. Both the attacks took place on a flight under two and a half hours, indicating the subject\u2019s \u201cexperience with spotting a target and acting quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\nIs this policy needed?<\/h2>\n
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