Air India To Reserve Seats For Women Passengers! Here’s How Twitter Reacted
Although we have seen reservations for women, the elderly and the physically challenged on buses and metro trains, this is perhaps the first time a decision is being implemented for passengers traveling by air. Yes, we can now notice “Reserved For Women” even in airlines.
This is perhaps the first time such a gender-specific reservation is being implemented in an airline anywhere in the world. National carrier Air India recently declared that it would have six seats reserved for women, starting from January 18. The airline will not charge anything extra for blocking such seats for women passengers.
Air Asia Reserved Seats For Ladies:
In step taken to attract more passengers, Air India will now reserve six seats for women passengers in its economy class. The move comes after a recent on-board incident when a flyer reportedly groped a woman co-passenger on Air India’s Mumbai-Newark flight. During the flight, a business class passenger changed his seat to sit next to a female passenger in the economy class and allegedly groped her when she fell asleep.
According to a report Air India general manager, revenue management, Meenakshi Malik said that the national carrier would be reserving six seats for women in the third row in the economy class of the aircraft.
“We feel, as national carriers, it is our responsibility to enhance comfort level to female passengers. There are a lot of female passengers who travel alone with us, and we will be blocking a few seats for them,” Air India general manager-revenue management Meenakshi Malik said.
A lot of people have called the move that of ‘enforced gender equality’ and ‘fortifying’ gender stereotypes. Here is how social media reacted on this reservation quota in flights.
For Dalits & Muslims ??
how many for dalits and muslims?
— Vijay (@chaferkars) January 12, 2017
What About SC/ST/OBC ?
#AirIndia announced seat reservation for women passengers. Waiting for them to reserve seats for SC/ST and OBC.
— Mr. M (@M_for_Mayur) January 12, 2017
Dear @airindiain. As a woman, this is insulting. My gender doesn’t make me an invalid. This is what modern day sexism looks like https://t.co/BydLuz5vMt
— Nupur (@UnSubtleDesi) January 12, 2017
Gender Stereotypes:
Seat 💺 reservation for women? 😳Thank you @airindiain for “fortifying” the gender stereotypes. #AirIndia gone cuckoo😨
— Danish Manzoor (@TellDM) January 12, 2017
Lol !! Local Train
they will end up making it a local train someday
— aJiT™⏺ (@oartija) January 12, 2017
i guess d question is- were women in INDIA feeling they were not getting tickets for flights because of gender discrimination?
— Dr Roshan R (@pythoroshan) January 12, 2017
A Request With a Burn:
Dear Air India,
I don’t want reserved seats. I want cleaner seats. Please look into it.
Yours truly,
Disgruntled Passenger— Sohini (@Mittermaniac) January 12, 2017
Is Reservation a Good Policy ?
Is there any other country like #India where policy makers think that #reservation is a good policy? #AirIndia reserves seats for #women.
— Pathak’s (@tracingideas) January 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/Misstiiq/status/819505121726001155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
After Air India decided to reserve seats for women on domestic flights. pic.twitter.com/7NJoc4mzH9
— PhD in Bakchodi (@Atheist_Krishna) January 12, 2017
Air India announced reservation for Women passengers aur Ritesh Deshmukh ko toh life time free mein travel karaenge.
— Sunil- The Cricketer (@1sInto2s) January 12, 2017
BC pehle air hostess toh rakho.. saare launde bhar dete h Air India wale 😕
— Nobody (@Haramzaadey) January 12, 2017
Hain??!!!????!!!!!??? That’s how gender equality is forced? #airindia #reservation https://t.co/17WHZHvQoO
— Nuance Wallah (@tohfakaboolhai) January 12, 2017
or ye bhi he pic.twitter.com/DVHM3tQnb8
— Om (@ohokohokok) January 12, 2017
— Tzar Khatri (@tzarkhatri) January 12, 2017
The government-run Air India was recently ranked as the “third-worst” airline in the world regarding one-time performance after Israeli carrier El Al and Iceland-based Icelandair.
What is your opinion on this reserved seats for women? Share your views in the comments section below.