Keep Calm & Sit Tight! Turkey Cracks Down On Flyers Who Stand In Planes Before Clearance

Stay seated after landing or pay ₹5,800! Turkiye is penalising passengers who unbuckle too soon. Here's what flyers need to know before their next trip.

Passengers standing up as soon as a flight lands (Representative image).

Source : X@KiranKS

Are you one of those flyers who just can't keep calm when the plane lands and stand up as soon as the plane slows down, not knowing what to do next? Such flyers are often quick to stand up, take out their luggage from the overhead storage, and jump out of the plane as if they were losing money by the minute. But they have absolutely no clue what to do next.

The plane just touched down, and people are already standing, as if we have zero patience left in our lives.

It seems we can't even sit and wait the ten minutes for the doors to open.🤔 pic.twitter.com/51Uw0UmlI1

— Rattan Dhillon (@ShivrattanDhil1) July 22, 2024

They would blankly stare at the air conditioning ducts as the condensed air wisps out, or stare into their phone screens as if transacting lakhs in the stock market, but actually only scrolling through their Instagram feed. If you're one of those passengers and are planning a trip to Turkiye anytime soon, here's a piece of advice that could save you ₹5,800: stay buckled until the seatbelt sign switches off. Thank us later!

Indians have still not learnt how to disembark from a plane. I don’t understand the need to choke the aisle when you perfectly well know that you can’t get off before the passengers ahead do. This inspite of the crew repeatedly asking people to wait in their seats. pic.twitter.com/R5V1xCTTHW

— Saurabh Gupta(Micky) (@MickyGupta84) October 5, 2020

In a move that's bound to catch impulsive aisle-runners off guard, Turkiye's aviation regulator has introduced fines for passengers who leap out of their seats the moment a plane hits the tarmac. The decision follows a growing number of complaints from fellow flyers and crew alike, frustrated by the chaotic rush to grab bags from the overhead storage before the aircraft has even been parked.

The penalty? A not-so-light US$70 (roughly ₹6,000), according to news agency AP. While the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation didn't spell out the exact amount in its official guidelines, local media have done the math, reported BBC.

With Turkey drawing tens of millions of tourists each year, including many from India, this rule change affects a sizeable chunk of globetrotters. And airlines are wasting no time in enforcing it.

Turkey's Aviation Rule: Buckle Up or Pay Up!

From this month onward, all commercial flights operating in Turkey are required to make clear in-flight announcements reminding passengers to stay seated with their seatbelts fastened until the aircraft has come to a complete halt and the seatbelt sign is turned off. Any passenger who disobeys this directive will now be formally reported by the airline.

Turkey Began Fining The Uncivilized People Who Stand And Rush The Aisle When The Plane Lands https://t.co/eN9Xg1URTT pic.twitter.com/WTAgaMV0VS

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 29, 2025

National carrier Turkish Airlines has already updated its landing announcements. As per a report by Euronews, flight attendants are alerting passengers that those who fail to comply will be reported to the civil aviation authorities via a "Disruptive Passenger Report", which could result in fines under existing aviation laws.

When On A Plane, Safety Before Suitcases

This crackdown comes against the backdrop of rising unruly behaviour on flights worldwide. According to a 2023 report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the most common type of in-flight misconduct last year wasn't violent outbursts or intoxicated antics; it was simply passengers refusing to follow crew instructions, reported The New York Times. Sounds harmless? Think again.

Cabin crews globally, including those in the United States, have faced increasing challenges ranging from verbal abuse to physical altercations. In fact, failure to follow crew instructions in the US can cost offenders up to $37,000 per violation, with serious cases landing with the FBI.

During the pandemic, incidents spiked dramatically, particularly over mask mandates. A 2021 survey by the Association of Flight Attendants in the US revealed that 85% of flight attendants had dealt with unruly passengers that year, and a shocking one in five had been physically assaulted, reported NYT.

While numbers have since dipped, airlines remain vigilant. Turkey is the latest to join the global push to restore civility at 35,000 feet.

What This Means For Indians Amid 'Boycott Turkey' Trend

Indian travellers to Turkey doubled in just one year — from 1.17 lakh in 2023 to 2.43 lakh in 2024. This year, more than 80,000 Indians flew to Azerbaijan between January and April. The 'Boycott Turkey' call in the wake of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's support for Pakistan's terrorism-sponsorship policy has gained traction among Indians and is likely to hit its tourism industry, although the impact is unlikely to be significant.

However, Indians would do well to remember this penalty rule in Turkey. For Indian tourists heading to Istanbul's Grand Bazaar or Cappadocia's dreamy landscapes, it would be wise to treat the seatbelt sign as gospel. As tempting as it may be to beat the baggage crowd or stretch your legs after a long-haul flight, jumping the gun could end your vacation even before it begins on a sour note.

So next time you fly into Turkey, stay seated, stay calm, and wait for the 'ping'. The baklava can wait.

...And A Request

Here's a request. Even if you are not flying to Turkey, please do not be an idiot and stand up as soon as the flight lands. Although Indian aviation rules specify sitting till the seatbelt signs are on, passengers in our country hardly ever adhere to this.

Such unruly behaviour not only creates a nuisance for your fellow passengers but also poses a threat to safety.

Please wait for the crew to tell you when it's safe to get up and take out your cabin baggage.