In Kyrgyzstan, airlines will be banned from selling more tickets than there are seats on a flight

The Kyrgyz State Civil Aviation Agency has banned airlines from practising overbooking — the sale of more tickets than there are seats on board an aircraft.

The new requirements apply to all air carriers operating flights via Kyrgyz airports, including foreign airlines.

As the agency explained, the decision was taken to protect passengers’ rights, improve the quality of service and prevent situations where a passenger with a confirmed ticket is denied boarding due to a lack of available seats.

Overbooking is widely practised by many airlines around the world. Carriers deliberately sell more tickets than there are seats on the aircraft, counting on some passengers not turning up for their flight. However, if all passengers arrive for check-in, some of them are forced to wait for the next flight, change their plans or incur additional costs.

Airlines operating in Kyrgyzstan must now ensure that the number of tickets sold does not exceed the actual capacity of the aircraft.

Specific requirements have also been established in the event of a forced substitution of the aircraft with one of smaller capacity. In such a situation, the carrier cannot unilaterally refuse to carry a passenger. Instead, it is obliged to offer the customer a choice: to voluntarily agree to travel on the next available flight or to receive a full refund of the ticket price.

In addition, all airlines have been instructed to bring their internal ticketing procedures into line with the new requirements and to provide additional training for staff.