Air India has decided, to keep all the six seats in the third row of the, economy class on Airbus A320 reserved only for women from January 18.,This is perhaps, the first time such a gender-specific reservation is being implemented, in an airline anywhere in the world, though it is in keeping with all other modes of transportation in India.

• The national carrier will begin reserving six seats for women from January 18.
• The airline claims the move is intended to enhance the comfort level for women travellers.
• The carrier was recently ‘ranked’ the third-worst international airline for delays in 2016.

Air India appears to have joined the “reservation” club when it recently announced that six seats on domestic flights would be reserved for woman passengers. The move will be implemented from January 18; six seats in the third row of the economy class would be reserved solely for women.

Speaking to media, Air India general manager (revenue management) Meenakshi Malik said the move was aimed at enhancing the comfort level for females traveling alone. The move was reportedly prompted by an incident on a Mumbai-Newark flight in December when a male passenger moved from business class and sat in economy class and groped a woman passenger. The reservation policy won’t apply for women traveling with families.

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This is perhaps the first time such a gender-specific reservation is being implemented in an airline anywhere in the world — though it is in keeping with all other modes of transportation in India.

“We will be reserving the third row — six seats — in the economy class of the aircraft fon or female passengers traveling alone,” Air India general manager of revenue management Meenakshi Malik told. “We feel, as national carriers, it is our responsibility to enhance comfort level to female passengers. There are a lot of female passengers who travel alone with us and we will be blocking a few seats for them.”