Airlines and Police Enforce Zero-Tolerance Policy
Prison Sentences and Arrests on the Rise
Airlines Consider Denying Boarding
As incidents of passengers touching aircraft emergency exits out of mere curiosity or as a prank continue to occur, concerns over aviation safety are growing. Airlines and the police are responding with a zero-tolerance policy and taking a hardline stance. On December 23, Yonhap News reported that the police are investigating a man in his 60s, referred to as Mr. A, on suspicion of violating the Aviation Security Act after he touched the emergency exit handle cover following boarding.
Previously, at around 9:45 a.m. on December 17, Mr. A, a passenger in his 60s, touched the emergency exit handle cover on Air Busan flight BX8106, which had arrived at Gimhae International Airport in Busan and was waiting on the tarmac. He was subdued on the spot by cabin crew. Mr. A was handed over to the airport police, and the Gangseo Police Station in Busan is investigating him for violating the Aviation Security Act. It has been reported that Mr. A stated, "I just touched it as a joke."
Such cases have been occurring repeatedly in recent times. On December 4, on a Korean Air flight from Incheon to Sydney, a passenger operated the emergency exit handle shortly after takeoff. When the crew immediately intervened, the passenger responded, "I was just waiting and touched it out of curiosity." Last month, on a flight from Incheon to Xi'an, another passenger touched the emergency exit during the flight, later claiming to have mistaken it for the restroom.
Imprisonment for Touching Emergency Exits...Pranks Threaten Aviation Safety
There were more than 10 similar cases reported at domestic airlines in the first half of this year alone. In the past, incidents caused by mistakes or simple curiosity were often resolved with warnings or being let off with a caution. However, after the emergency exit opening incident on an Asiana Airlines flight over Daegu in May 2023, airlines and the police have shifted to a tougher stance.
Article 23, Paragraph 2 of the current Aviation Security Act prohibits the operation of doors, emergency exits, and equipment inside aircraft, and stipulates imprisonment of up to 10 years without fines for violations. The Asia Business Daily
Actual cases of punishment have also followed. The passenger who opened the emergency exit over Daegu in 2023 was sentenced to three years in prison with a five-year suspended sentence for violating the Aviation Security Act. In 2024, another passenger who opened an emergency exit while taxiing on the runway was indicted and received a prison sentence. Korean Air stated that there have been 14 cases of emergency exit operation or attempts in the past two years, and announced that it is considering not only criminal complaints but also denying boarding (blacklisting) such passengers in the future.
Article 23, Paragraph 2 of the current Aviation Security Act prohibits the operation of doors, emergency exits, and equipment inside aircraft, and stipulates imprisonment of up to 10 years without fines for violations. As a result, there have been criticisms that courts are reluctant to impose prison sentences for minor offenses, leading to lenient punishments such as suspension of indictment. Accordingly, a bill to amend the Aviation Security Act is under discussion in the National Assembly, which would allow fines of up to 100 million won to be imposed even if no actual damage occurs. An aviation industry official emphasized, "Tampering with emergency exits is not a simple prank but a serious crime that threatens the lives of hundreds of people," adding, "It is most important for passengers to change their perception of such actions."
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