Passengers Who Stand Too Soon After Landing Face Penalties in Turkey

Passengers flying with Turkish airlines will be fined if they stand up before the aircraft comes to a complete stop and the seatbelt sign goes off. The new measures have already taken effect, and Turkish Airlines has notified its flight crews accordingly.

According to Haber Gazetesi, Turkey's General Directorate of Civil Aviation (SHGM) approved a new circular on May 2 that introduces administrative fines for passengers who violate this rule. The updated regulations require flight crews to issue an additional warning after the standard landing announcement, specifically instructing passengers to remain seated until the seatbelt sign is off.

"The in-flight announcements on commercial airlines have been amended to warn passengers who smoke onboard or stand up before the plane has come to a complete stop and the seatbelt sign has been turned off, thus violating order,” the circular states. "These measures are intended to improve passenger discipline and awareness.”

Turkish Airlines has informed its flight attendants of the new rules. According to reports, anyone who stands prematurely, opens overhead bins, or moves through the cabin against crew instructions will be considered in violation and subject to administrative penalties.

For comparison, in Russia, violations of behavior rules on railway, air, or water transport (Article 11.17, Part 6 of the Administrative Code) can result in fines ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 rubles or up to 15 days of administrative arrest. Since 2018, airlines have also been allowed to place unruly passengers on internal blacklists.

In late 2023, Russian carriers asked the Transport Ministry for permission to share blacklists among companies. The ministry supported the idea of creating a shared registry for individuals who repeatedly cause disturbances during flights and of expanding the grounds for inclusion.

Additionally, in May 2022, the Russian government authorized flight crews to use plastic handcuffs and nylon restraints against violent or disruptive passengers.