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Enjoy this article - I like the idea that women can now safely fly in India without being assaulted by men. Of course there is backlash, and very passive language here. It SHOULD say, “Women are sick of men sexually assaulting them, so they can now avoid men on airplanes.”
Link: https://apple.news/AnYrIqyXzTyGyc0zBeik-Fg
IndiGo Airlines, India’s largest low-cost carrier, has announced a new feature that allows women passengers to view the gender of their potential seatmates during the web check-in process. With this new policy going into effect in August 2024, IndiGo hopes to make its more than 2,000 daily domestic and international flights a safer and more comfortable place for women. The new system will display seats occupied by female passengers in pink on the seating chart during online check-in.
This visual aid will help women decide where they feel most comfortable sitting. Importantly, this feature will only be available to female passengers. Male travelers will continue to select seats based on availability without gender information. In a report by CNN, IndiGo’s spokesperson stated, “IndiGo is proud to announce the introduction of a new feature that aims to make the travel experience more comfortable for our female passengers.” The airline emphasizes that this initiative aligns with its “#GirlPower ethos” and is based on market research to address the concerns of women travelers.
Safety Concerns And Potential Benefits For Women
The introduction of this feature comes at a time when in-flight safety for women is a growing concern. The FBI reported investigating 96 cases of in-flight sexual assault in the previous year, highlighting the need for measures to protect female passengers. This new option could give women an added sense of security, especially for solo travelers or those uncomfortable sitting beside male strangers. It may also reduce anxiety and improve overall travel experiences for women who have previously felt vulnerable during flights.
While many applaud IndiGo’s efforts to prioritize women’s comfort and safety, the new feature has sparked debate. Some critics argue that it could be seen as discriminatory or reinforce gender stereotypes. Nonetheless, IndiGo’s initiative is the first of its kind in the airline industry. It may set a precedent for other airlines to follow and raise important questions about gender equality, representation, and safety in air travel.
Love this! I hate sitting next to men on long flights and would love to be able to prevent it
There is automatic seating allocations for solo female travellers to only be seated to other females or families travelling together in the overnight/long trains in india
I bet every single man ALSO doesn't want to sit next to another man, so this will be interesting logistically.
Imagine how many sexual harassment complaints there must have been for an airline to develop this policy. 💀
In my 30-plus years of air travel, I’ve never been sexually harassed on a plane or in an airport, luckily. That may be because I’ve never traveled to India.
I mentioned this a while ago in a previous post. We need female only everything! Including any area where we have to be confined into tight spaces for prolonged periods of time.
This still won’t work. They will still find loopholes. Remember that career fair just for female engineers that was bombarded by men just a few years ago? I assume that most of these guys will identify as women to sit with them.
If anything, there should be a designated female section (similarly towards the female only trains in India) for women and if these men were to be in these areas, they will face punitive fines/charges.