A New Flying Rule From Turkey That India Needs Too

If there’s one thing that annoys us the most while travelling on a plane (after a crying baby on board, of course), it has to be certain people… people who are in such a rush to bolt from the aircraft the moment it touches down.

Whether you’re a frequent flyer or not, you know what we mean. The moment the captain announces some garbled version of “we have landed”, there’s always that one person who springs up, opens the overhead bin, grabs their luggage, and plants themselves firmly in the aisle. This often leads to others doing the same thing, which ultimately leads to a cluster of people standing in the aisle while holding their luggage for no reason.

Taking it easy clearly isn’t part of their travel policy – regardless of whether they have a connecting flight or not. But what’s the point of clutching your bag and standing in a queue if you still have to wait for the crew to open the door for exiting? It’s a mystery. And somehow, this works like a domino effect – once one person gets up (whether it’s time or not), others follow suit as if it’s a race to nowhere.

Now, to tackle this mid-air impatience, it looks like the Turkish government has introduced some new in-flight regulations. The Indian civil aviation authorities – the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) – too might want to take a few notes.

What Does The New Law Say?

Turkey has rolled out strict new rules for airline passengers to improve safety and order during flights – particularly during landing and disembarkation. These regulations, effective from early May 2025, apply to all commercial airlines operating within Turkey, including Turkish Airlines.

Here’s the lowdown:

• Passengers must stay seated with seat belts fastened until the aircraft comes to a full stop at its designated parking spot and the seatbelt sign is switched off.
• Unbuckling seat belts, opening overhead compartments, or standing in the aisle before the plane has stopped taxiing is strictly prohibited.
• Airlines must revise their standard in-flight announcements to clearly instruct passengers to remain seated and warn that violations will be reported.
• Passengers are reminded to disembark in turn, without rushing forward – yes, your aisle seat doesn’t make you royalty.
• Breaking these rules is considered disruptive passenger behaviour and may attract an administrative fine of up to USD 70 (Rs 6,000), say Turkish media reports, although an amount hasn’t yet been specified by the Turkish government.
• Cabin crew are now responsible for enforcing these rules, delivering additional safety announcements after landing, and reporting any misbehaviour for possible legal or administrative action.