Whether or not because of somebody eradicating their footwear proper after boarding or consuming a smelly sandwich throughout mealtime, we have all sometimes wished we had the ability to decide on our seatmate after we fly. One airline lastly offers some clients that choice, although for a distinct purpose than the olfactory examples listed above.
IndiGo, a low-cost airline based mostly in India, lately introduced a brand new coverage permitting feminine passengers to decide on whether or not or to not sit subsequent to a person. Beneath IndiGo’s new coverage, ladies can see the gender of passengers who’ve already chosen their seats throughout check-in by the use of a blue or pink marking on the seat map. Males, however, is not going to be aware about this data.
The brand new coverage started as a check amongst IndiGo’s feminine vacationers, based on IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers. “We introduced it up as a check for our feminine vacationers to test in and see the place they’ll sit subsequent to a different feminine traveler,” he mentioned in a current interview with CNBC’s “Road Indicators Asia.”
With inflight sexual assault instances on the rise, it is no shock that airways are looking out for tactics to make ladies really feel safer and extra snug after they fly.
In April, the FBI launched a bulletin to boost consciousness on the subject of sexual assault on airplanes within the U.S. “Sometimes, males are the perpetrators, and ladies and unaccompanied minors are the victims,” it said. In 2023 alone, the FBI opened 96 instances based mostly on inflight sexual assault, up from 27 sexual misconduct instances aboard plane in 2018.
Sexual assault statistics in India additionally paint a grim image. Police in India recorded 31,516 rape instances in 2022, a 20% enhance from 2021, based on a March story by the Related Press.
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Different types of transit in India have already got insurance policies to guard ladies from these incidents; as an example, there are a number of long-distance and commuter trains in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata which have women-only carriages. Some cities have even gone so far as to supply trains and stations staffed solely by ladies.
Regardless of the apparent want for some kind of answer to this rising drawback, the announcement has garnered combined reactions on-line.
Commenters on the official India subreddit responded to the announcement with various levels of pleasure. Some have been glad for the choice however felt disillusioned that it had come to this. “Ladies ought to be and really feel protected whatever the folks sitting subsequent to them,” one mentioned.
One other commenter, whereas understanding the necessity for such a coverage, felt it wasn’t addressing the basis situation. “I want we may work on this from grass roots and educate younger girls and boys to actually respect one another,” they mentioned.
IndiGo remains to be crunching the numbers on whether or not it has gained extra feminine vacationers since saying the change, however Elbers did say the suggestions from feminine passengers was overwhelmingly constructive. “We do have very constructive particular person reactions from passengers and folks on social media giving their suggestions on this initiative,” he informed “Road Indicators Asia.”
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