France imposes tougher penalties for unruly airline passengers

France has introduced tougher rules for disruptive airline passengers effective Nov. 8, with offenders facing fines of up to €20,000 and flight bans of up to four years.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the measures aim to improve the safety of passengers and crew. A dedicated database will record incidents, and sanctions will be scaled according to the severity of the violation.

Cases of aggression, insults, covert smoking and fights on board have been rising globally. According to IATA, one such incident occurred per 395 flights in 2024, while Europe records 200–500 cases a month.