The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday asked airlines to allot seats in flights in such a manner that middle seats are kept vacant to the extent possible.
However, if a flyer has been allotted the middle seat due to a high passenger load, "then additional protective equipment like wrap-around gown of the Ministry of Textiles-approved standards" must be provided to that passenger in addition to three-layered face mask and face shield, said the DGCA order, which has been accessed by PTI.
India resumed its domestic passenger flights from May 25 after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. International commercial passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country.
A DGCA circular on March 23, before flight services were suspended, had recommended keeping middle seats vacant. However, following the start of the Vande Bharat repatriation flights and resumption of domestic services, the advisory has not been uniformly implemented.
Last week, the Supreme Court allowed Air India to keep its middle seats on non-scheduled flights occupied until June 6. The Centre and Air India had moved the Supreme Court after an Air India pilot appealed to the Bombay High Court on the need to keep the middle seats empty for social distancing. The Bombay High Court asked the national carrier to operate its non-scheduled flights by keeping the middle seats vacant.
(With PTI inputs)
