Turkish Airlines Threatens Fines For Annoying Post-Landing Behavior

Türkiye’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has just implemented some new aviation regulations, and Turkish Airlines is the first to update its announcements to reflect these new policies. I suspect these are empty threats, but it’s still interesting to see an airline add this to its standardized announcements.

Türkiye’s new regulations for how to act after landing

Türkiye has new regulations regarding passenger behavior between the time the aircraft lands and when passengers disembark. These regulations require passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened, and to not stand up or open overhead bins, until the seatbelt sign is turned off. Furthermore, the regulations require passengers to follow the published policy for disembarkation, including not standing up until it’s your turn to exit.

Now, admittedly most of these rules have existed before, but what’s new is that the government is now threatening a fine for this behavior, with airlines being told to report customers who don’t follow regulations.

Here’s Turkish Airlines’ updated post-landing announcement:

“Dear passengers, our aircraft has not yet reached its parking position. Please do not unfasten your seatbelt, stand up, or open the overhead compartments until the seatbelt sign has been switched off. 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.”

“After the aircraft reaches the parking position and the seatbelt sign is turned off, please respect the disembarkation priority of the passengers in front of or around you and wait for your turn. Do not stand up or proceed in the aisle before it is your turn to exit. Passengers who do not to comply with the rules will be reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation through a Disruptive Passenger Report, and an administrative fine will be imposed in accordance with the applicable legal regulations.”

I can understand the threat of a fine for not staying seated while the plane is taxiing, but it’s interesting that a fine is even being threatened for not respecting the disembarkation priority, and for standing up or entering the aisle before it’s your turn to exit.

Will these new regulations make a difference?

Turkish Airlines definitely has some issues with passengers following procedures upon arrival. Admittedly that largely reflects that Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline in the world. As you might expect, aircraft etiquette norms in Benghazi, Damascus, and Ouagadougou, differ from those in Boston, Denver, and Oslo.

Now, it’s anyone’s guess if the threat of a fine actually changes passenger behavior. I suspect that those who actually listen to the announcements and are deterred by the threat of a fine are also those who are least likely to break the rules in the first place.

We’re also talking about different levels of rule-breaking here. For example, it’s common just about everywhere in the world to see some people take off their seatbelts once the plane arrives (which seems silly, but…). Meanwhile standing up and opening overhead bins while a plane is still taxiing is a much less common issue, at least in many parts of the world.

But like I said, what I find most interesting is the airline threatening fines for those who don’t respect disembarking priority, and who proceed in the aisle before it’s their turn to exit.

I’m kind of delighted to see that, as I’m in the “everyone shouldn’t jump up the second the plane arrives at the gate” camp. Meanwhile View from the Wing is the opposite, and thinks you should stand as soon as the plane lands. So I’m guessing he’s less of a fan of this change than I am.