Fines for passengers violating the rules of conduct on airplanes may be increased

**Fines for Passengers Violating Rules of Conduct on Board Aircraft May Be Increased**

It is proposed to increase fines for passengers who fail to comply with the instructions of the aircraft commander or crew members regarding adherence to the rules of conduct. The draft law prepared by the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan has been posted on the portal for discussing draft normative-legal documents.

It envisages introducing amendments and additions to the Code of Administrative Responsibility, expanding the list of offenses in the aviation sector, and redistributing powers to review administrative cases.

The draft provides for supplementing Article 116 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility with new parts. This article pertains to the violation of flight safety rules.

According to the proposal, fines are established for the following cases:

The draft specifies that activities directly related to aircraft operation and flight support must be carried out only by persons with the appropriate rights. In accordance with the Aviation Code, there are requirements regarding the professional training and qualifications of aviation personnel, as well as the airworthiness of aircraft.

The explanatory note also cites the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) of an aircraft to explain the risks of conducting a flight despite technical malfunctions. It defines which equipment or system failure still permits a flight to be allowed and what additional restrictions must be observed.

Registration of aircraft in the state register and assigning the relevant markings to them are also among the current requirements. The draft proposes establishing separate administrative liability for violating these requirements.

It is proposed to state Article 117 of the Code — "Violation of the rules of conduct on board an aircraft" — in a new wording.

According to it, if a passenger fails to comply with the instructions of the aircraft commander or a crew member acting on their behalf regarding adherence to the rules of conduct inside the aircraft, they may be fined from 5 to 10 BCVs (Base Calculating Values).

If the same offense is repeated within one year after the application of an administrative penalty, it is proposed to increase the fine from 15 to 20 BCVs.

The current Article 117 also provides for a fine from 5 to 10 BCVs for failure to comply with the orders of the aircraft commander or crew members. However, the proposed wording clarifies that it applies specifically to a passenger's failure to comply with instructions regarding adherence to the rules of conduct inside the aircraft. Additionally, a separate, higher fine is set for repeating the offense within one year.

At the same time, the current article provides for a fine and confiscation of recording materials for violating the rules for taking photos, films, and videos on board an aircraft, as well as for using radio communication tools. The draft proposes to exclude this part.

The explanatory note notes that this norm has lost its relevance today: passengers have personal phones with cameras, while photographic film and videocassettes are practically no longer used. For this reason, the old norm regarding the prohibition of filming is being reviewed. This change does not repeal the obligation to comply with other rules of conduct.

The draft proposes to supplement the Code of Administrative Responsibility with a new Article 198−10. It establishes liability for failure to comply with the instructions of the Civil Aviation Agency under the Ministry of Transport.

The proposed fines are as follows:

If the offense is repeated within one year after the application of an administrative penalty, it is proposed to impose a fine of 50 BCVs on citizens and 100 BCVs on officials.

According to the explanatory note, the agency currently has the authority to issue written instructions to legal entities and individuals to eliminate deficiencies identified during inspections. This power is established in the Regulation on the Agency, approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 337 of April 19, 2019, and in the flight safety program approved by Resolution No. 346 of December 17, 2014.

According to the explanatory note, the "Uzaviation" Agency conducted 202 control inspections in 2025 and issued 95 submissions to civil aviation organizations. The new article envisages the introduction of separate liability for violating the obligation to comply with the agency's instructions.

The draft law also provides for amendments to Articles 245, 248, and 251 of the Code of Administrative Responsibility. These articles determine which bodies review cases of administrative offenses.

According to the draft, the Civil Aviation Agency under the Ministry of Transport is designated as the sole body reviewing cases of administrative offenses in the field of air transport. The director of the agency and their deputy, as well as the heads of departments and divisions, will have the authority to make decisions on certain cases and apply administrative penalties.

At the same time, the draft specifies that officials of the Agency will draw up an administrative protocol for certain offenses and send it to court. In particular, such a procedure is expected to be applied when offenses related to failure to comply with the agency's instructions under the new Article 198−10 are identified.

Amendments being introduced to other articles of the Code are also aimed at aligning the powers to review cases with the new order. The explanatory note indicates that the reason for this is that under previous norms, powers regarding certain offenses were divided between the Civil Aviation Agency and Uzbekistan Airways. The proposed wording envisages consolidating powers over administrative cases within the agency.

The Ministry of Transport developed the draft to fulfill the tasks set out in Presidential Decree No. UP-193 of October 27, 2025. The decree sets a goal to bring compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in eight areas in the field of civil aviation flight safety to an average of 85 percent.

The draft is also aimed at implementing the recommendations made by ICAO based on the results of assessing the flight safety oversight system in Uzbekistan in 2017 and 2023.

The explanatory note states that ICAO noted the presence of law enforcement norms in Uzbekistan's legislation, but the list of penalties and offenses was limited. In particular, it was pointed out that certain technical violations that could be committed by organizations and individuals were insufficiently covered. For this reason, it is proposed to establish new elements of offenses and penalties for them.

According to the authors of the draft, expanding the list of offenses and strengthening liability will serve to ensure flight safety, prevent violations, and integrate international standards into national legislation.

In preparing the document, ICAO standards and European Union rules were studied, as well as the experience of Moldova, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Russia.

The explanatory note notes that the adoption of the draft will not require additional financial expenditure from the state budget and that there is no need to introduce amendments to other normative-legal acts.

The draft law will be under discussion until October 24.