IndiGo, India’s leading budget airline, has introduced a new feature designed to improve comfort for women passengers by giving them the option to avoid sitting next to male travelers. This innovative service highlights seats with a pink marker on the seat selection screen, signaling that another female passenger will occupy the seat. However, this gender-specific information is not accessible to men when choosing their seats.

To enable this feature, the airline asks travelers to specify their gender during the booking process. Although this feature is not yet visible on IndiGo’s website or app, it has been in a trial phase since May. It is available on all flights, according to a company representative speaking to CNBC Travel.

IndiGo’s CEO, Pieter Elbers, shared with CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” that the initiative has received positive feedback on social media. He emphasized that this move aligns with the airline’s commitment to enhancing customer experience through technology and supports IndiGo’s #GirlPower campaign.

The feature was introduced in response to women’s discomfort when seated next to male passengers. Issues like encroachment on personal space and inappropriate behavior have led to the creation of this initiative. However, despite the positive reception, some critics argue that the feature could be seen as discriminatory and raise concerns about its implementation, especially regarding gender identity.

This new initiative comes in the context of various incidents on flights where inappropriate behavior towards women has been reported, highlighting the need for such measures. IndiGo, the world’s third-largest airline by market value and the first in India to carry over 100 million passengers in a year, continues to focus on innovative ways to enhance safety and comfort for all passengers.