Popular tourist hub to fine airline passengers who stand up before plane stops

Airline passengers to Turkey will be fined if they stand up before the seatbelt sign turns off after landing, as per a BBC report. The Turkish civil aviation authority said it imposed the order after receiving complaints from passengers. The rules came into effect in Apirl.

Turkish media said fines are around US$70 (£50), although no amount is mentioned in the authority's guidance. The authority warned that there was a "serious increase" in such incidents, with many complaints about passengers grabbing overhead baggage before their plane had been parked.

The country attracts tens of millions of tourists annually. The aviation authority has mandated that commercial airlines make an in-flight announcement and report passengers who fail to comply with the rules.


Passengers must be instructed to keep their seatbelts fastened and avoid standing up or opening overhead compartments until the seatbelt sign is turned off.

Those who disregard these instructions are required to be reported to the authority. Turkish Airlines, the national carrier, has revised its landing announcement, as reported by Euronews.

The airline informs passengers upon landing that “those who do not follow the rules will be reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation through a Disruptive Passenger Report, and may face administrative fines in accordance with relevant legal regulations,” according to the news outlet.