Even as women-only pink auto rickshaws (tuk-tuks) dot the landscape of Delhi’s suburban satellite cities, Air India’s decision to reserve six seats – one row – for women on all domestic narrowbody aircraft due to an increase in sexual assaults by male passengers is eliciting a mixed response.
The women-only seats can be requested during check-in at the airport. If not selected by women, the seats will be released 90 minutes before departure for other travelers, an Air India (AI) official tells Runway Girl Network.
“We introduced this [policy] to ensure passenger experience is improved as unruly behavior can ruin it. We feel it will increase our competitive edge in the market,” says the official. He suggests that a man sitting in a middle seat in economy class, with a woman seated on either side of him, could “make the women uncomfortable even if his elbow slightly touched them.
“Let’s face it, at heart we are traditional people.”
The chairman and managing director of Air India, Ashwani Lohani, is quoted in The Times of India as saying that Air India used to carry plastic handcuffs only on its international flights “but will now have them on both domestic and international flights. All our aircraft will have two pairs of restraining devices.”
Radha Bhatia, president for the US Women in Aviation International chapter of India, has applauded Air India’s decision to reserve a women-only row on domestic flights. In what could be seen as a surprising message given women’s push for equality, she tells RGN: “Women are called the fair sex. Women and children should get preference. Kudos to Ashwini Lohani for giving priority to women.”
07/02/17 Neelam Mathews/Runway Girl Network
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The women-only seats can be requested during check-in at the airport. If not selected by women, the seats will be released 90 minutes before departure for other travelers, an Air India (AI) official tells Runway Girl Network.
“We introduced this [policy] to ensure passenger experience is improved as unruly behavior can ruin it. We feel it will increase our competitive edge in the market,” says the official. He suggests that a man sitting in a middle seat in economy class, with a woman seated on either side of him, could “make the women uncomfortable even if his elbow slightly touched them.
“Let’s face it, at heart we are traditional people.”
The chairman and managing director of Air India, Ashwani Lohani, is quoted in The Times of India as saying that Air India used to carry plastic handcuffs only on its international flights “but will now have them on both domestic and international flights. All our aircraft will have two pairs of restraining devices.”
Radha Bhatia, president for the US Women in Aviation International chapter of India, has applauded Air India’s decision to reserve a women-only row on domestic flights. In what could be seen as a surprising message given women’s push for equality, she tells RGN: “Women are called the fair sex. Women and children should get preference. Kudos to Ashwini Lohani for giving priority to women.”
07/02/17 Neelam Mathews/Runway Girl Network
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