Ladies can now keep away from sitting beside males on flights offered by India’s greatest airline, courtesy of a brand new reserving characteristic.
Whereas touring with IndiGo, ladies will likely be proven a pink icon throughout on-line check-in indicating the place different ladies are sat.
Because of this they will tailor their seat choice to keep away from being sat beside a person. The characteristic is just seen to feminine passengers.
IndiGo’s CEO, Pieter Elbers, mentioned this system was primarily based on suggestions from prospects in addition to rising expertise permitting the characteristic to turn out to be a actuality.
Elbers defined to CNBC’s Road Indicators Asia: “A part of our philosophy actually is a courteous and hassle-free service.
“We brought it up as a test … and actually it has resounded very, very well. 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.”
Whereas Elbers mentioned the corporate doesn’t presently have information on what number of ladies are utilizing the characteristic, he cited robust particular person reactions from prospects.
IndiGo, which operates round 2,000 flights a day and flew 28 million prospects in its most up-to-date quarter, instructed CNBC the options is designed to “make the travel experience more comfortable for our female passengers.”
IndiGo, which dominates the market for home flights in India, added the characteristic is presently in pilot mode and aligns with the corporate’s “#GirlPower ethos.”
IndiGo didn’t instantly reply to Fortune’s request for remark.
Is that this coverage wanted?
On X, the Elon Musk-owned platform previously often known as Twitter, opinion is split. Whereas some folks respect the characteristic, saying they’ve felt “discomfort” on flights because of this, others requested whether or not it was essential.
In line with the U.S. State Division, ladies face the next degree of menace to their private safety whereas touring in India. It writes: “Do not travel alone, particularly if you are a woman.”
The state division directs additional enquiries to its recommendation for ladies vacationers, which incorporates notes similar to not utilizing a title whereas reserving lodging and discovering close by police stations and hospitals in case of an emergency.
Whereas ladies are warned to train warning whereas on the bottom, proof suggests they need to additionally concentrate on dangers within the air.
Information about sexual assault on flights is troublesome to return by: The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) retains a tab on ‘unruly’ passenger experiences however doesn’t specify the character of those incidents.
This information peaked in 2021 following the COVID pandemic at 5,973 experiences for the yr, subsequently falling to 897 for the yr 2024 so far.
Likewise following the institution of the Nationwide In-Flight Sexual Misconduct Process Pressure (Process Pressure) in 2019, information illustrates the variety of incidents practically doubled from 2017 (63 incidents) to 2020 (119).
Whereas details about incidents prior to now 4 years is much less out there, the FBI warned in April of this yr that the “serious federal crime” is on the rise.
An FBI examine in 2022 outlined the issue.
“Usually, sexual crimes are dedicated by males, and the identical holds true once they occur on airplanes.
“Most 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,” writes Particular Agent Wess Brooker.
Whereas some might question how potential it’s for a person to commit an assault in a carefully monitored surroundings (planes filled with different passengers and flight attendants) in a brief time frame (flights final a matter of hours), Brooker factors out this merely accelerates the grooming and assault course of.
One instance, Brooker notes, is when a person assaulted two feminine passengers by sitting beside them in unassigned seating. Each the assaults occurred on a flight underneath two and a half hours, indicating the topic’s “experience with spotting a target and acting quickly.”
