Unruly passenger filmed smoking on Mumbai airport tarmac, threatens airline staff

MUMBAI: In a serious breach of aviation safety norms, video circulating on social media shows a man smoking on the airport tarmac and inside terminal premises.

While the video posted on X says the incident occurred at the Mumbai airport, officials said one of the shots of the terminal building doesn't look like it is in Mumbai.

The visuals clearly capture the individual casually smoking in restricted airside areas, where such activity is strictly prohibited. In one shot he is seen walking on the tarmac with an aircraft in the background.

In another clip shot from inside an airline office, he is seen standing outside the glass partition blowing smoke into the speak-thru manned by a female employee. In both the clips a staff can he heard warning him that smoking is prohibited.

He counters, demanding to be shown non-smoking signage. In a third clip, the unruly passenger is seen throwing cash at an airline employee and walking away, boasting about his salary.



"At Mumbai airport, a passenger was filmed smoking on the tarmac and inside a terminal, ignoring staff warnings. He exhaled smoke at a female employee and abused her while boasting about his salary," says the post on X.

Smoking on tarmac is unruly passenger behaviour and under the updated provisions, an airline can ban the unruly passenger straight away for a period of 30 days.

Under the updated Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) identifies an unruly passenger as one "who fails to respect the rules of conduct at an airport or on board an aircraft or to follow the instructions of the airport staff or crew members and thereby disturbs the good order and discipline at an airport or on board the aircraft".

Smoking on the tarmac is considered a major safety violation due to the presence of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and highly flammable vapours around aircraft. Even a small ignition source can pose a fire hazard, particularly during refuelling or ground handling operations.

Aviation regulations in India prohibit smoking not just inside aircraft but across operational zones of airports, with violations attracting penalties and possible legal action under safety and security provisions.

A look at the past incidents show authorities treat such violations seriously. Passengers caught smoking on flights have been detained and booked, as it is classified as behaviour that can endanger aircraft safety and trigger emergency responses.