New Delhi, March 18 -- The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has advised airlines to perform regular inspections of seats to ensure their serviceability during flights.

In response, Air India has initiated a programme to inspect seat cushions for sagging every seven days, the government announced on Monday.

Last month, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticized Air India for providing him with a "broken and sunken" seat. The airline apologized for the incident, and Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu instructed the carrier to take "necessary action."

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Monday (March 17), Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the responsibility of regular inspection of the ...