This airline allows female passengers to avoid sitting next to men

Whether due to someone removing their shoes right after boarding or eating a stinky sandwich during mealtime, we've all occasionally wished we had the power to choose our seatmate when we fly. One airline finally gives some customers that option, though for a different reason than the olfactory examples listed above.

IndiGo, a low-cost airline based in India, recently announced a new policy allowing female passengers to choose whether or not to sit next to a man. Under IndiGo's new policy, women can see the gender of passengers who have already selected their seats during check-in by way of a blue or pink marking on the seat map. Men, on the other hand, will not be privy to this information.

The new policy began as a test among IndiGo's female travelers, according to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers. "We brought it up as a test for our female travelers to check in and see where they can sit next to another female traveler," he said in a recent interview with CNBC's "Street Signs Asia."

With inflight sexual assault cases on the rise, it's no surprise that airlines are on the lookout for ways to make women feel safer and more comfortable when they fly.

In April, the FBI released a bulletin to raise awareness on the topic of sexual assault on airplanes in the U.S. "Typically, men are the perpetrators, and women and unaccompanied minors are the victims," it stated. In 2023 alone, the FBI opened 96 cases based on inflight sexual assault, up from 27 sexual misconduct cases aboard aircraft in 2018.

Sexual assault statistics in India also paint a grim picture. Police in India recorded 31,516 rape cases in 2022, a 20% increase from 2021, according to a March story by the Associated Press.

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Other forms of transit in India already have policies to protect women from these incidents; for instance, there are several long-distance and commuter trains in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata that have women-only carriages. Some cities have even gone as far as to offer trains and stations staffed only by women.

Despite the obvious need for some type of solution to this growing problem, the announcement has garnered mixed reactions online.

Commenters on the official India subreddit responded to the announcement with varying degrees of excitement. Some were glad for the option but felt disappointed that it had come to this. "Women should be and feel safe regardless of the people sitting next to them," one said.

Another commenter, while understanding the need for such a policy, felt it wasn't addressing the root issue. "I wish we could work on this from grass roots and teach young boys and girls to truly respect each other," they said.

IndiGo is still crunching the numbers on whether it has gained more female travelers since announcing the change, but Elbers did say the feedback from female passengers was overwhelmingly positive. "We do have very positive individual reactions from passengers and people on social media giving their feedback on this initiative," he told "Street Signs Asia."

Related reading:

• Why every solo female traveler needs a card with travel insurance
• Lyft's program that matches female and nonbinary riders and drivers is now available nationwide
• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a first-time or frequent traveler
• Celebrating International Women's Day: TPG's 10 best women-founded travel brands