Turkey to fine passengers who unbuckle their seatbelts before plane stops
Turkey to fine passengers who unbuckle their seatbelts before plane stops
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New United Airlines policy means you may need to arrive earlier
A new United Airlines policy will require passengers without checked bags to arrive at least 45 minutes before their flight.
Most air travelers have experienced the irritating chore once a plane lands — the unbuckling of seatbelts and standing in the aisle to beeline out the door. One country is now taking a bold effort to stop the air travel nuisance.
Turkey can now fine impatient passengers who unfasten their seatbelts or stand up before the plane has parked at the gate, according to new rules posted by officials earlier this month. The new rules will also fine all incoming passengers who smoke tobacco products or stand while the plane is still taxiing, according to the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
"Despite announcements informing passengers of the rules, many are standing up before the aircraft reaches its parking positions and before the seat belt sign is turned off," the directorate said, as reported by the Associated Press. "This behavior compromises the safety of passengers and baggage, disregards the satisfaction and exit priority of other travelers."
The exact fine amounts were not immediately known.
According to a letter posted by Turkish Director General Kemal Yuksek at the beginning of 2025, Turkey has seen a significant increase in complaints regarding passengers who ignore flight crew instructions and leave their seats as the seatbelt sign is lit. The passengers stand in the aisle and open the overhead compartments before the plane has parked, Yusek wrote in the letter.
The letter also included a sample announcement for flight crew to make upon arrival in the country, which stated in English: "It is strictly forbidden to stand up, open overhead compartments, or be present in the aisle before the aircraft has reached its parking position and the seatbelt sign has been turned off." The suggested announcement continues by telling passengers to wait for people in front of them to deboard before getting up.
Passengers who don't comply risk being reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation through a Disruptive Passenger Report, and their fine will be determined.
Not only does disobeying the illuminated signs and flight crew orders to stay seated violate federal law in countries like the United States, but it also poses a safety concern if the plane is not parked. Experts say a taxiing plane takes significant power to make its maneuvers, and people standing up when they're not supposed to interfere with the pilot.
Unruly passengers and worrying trends
The International Air Transport Association found that there was one unruly passenger incident per 835 flights in 2021, with the most common types being ignoring crew instructions such as fastening seatbelts, verbal abuse, and intoxication. Though rare, the altercation turning into physical abuse increased by 65%, a statistic the organization called "worrying."
In 2021, 5,973 incidents of unruly passengers were reported to the Federal Aviation Administration. That number has since declined, with 2,076 reports and $7.5 million in fines levied in 2023. In the United States, any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers faces up to $37,000 in civil penalties.
"It seems like behaving angry and belligerent has become more acceptable in the last five to seven years," Jared Kenworthy, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Arlington, previously told USA TODAY. "It's just more acceptable to be pissed off and angry all the time. ... It may be because everybody's putting them on social media."
As of May 25, there have been 637 reports of unruly passengers this year. Earlier this month, a passenger on Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways attempted to open the exit door mid-flight, according to authorities. And in March, officials said a man onboard a Delta Air Lines flight allegedly bit another passenger and hit others.
Contributing: Zach Wichter and Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY
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