China to Blacklist Misbehaving Airline Passengers

Jan 31, 2016 08:54 AM EST

Passengers sleep on seats to wait for flights at Hong Kong International Airport on January 25, 2016 in Hong Kong, China. China welcomed the Spring Festival travel peak from Sunday and will continue to the last day of Chinese lunar calendar new year. While affected by the cold snap throughout the country, most parts in China provinces encountered cold weather and heavy snow recently. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images)

With the rising number of reports involving rowdy Chinese tourists and airline passengers, the Chinese government announced that it will blacklist misbehaving airline passengers.

The new industry regulation, issued by the China Air Transport Association, will take effect on Monday, February 1, and those who will be blacklisted will stay on the list for up to two years.

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A Xinhua report, however, said the association failed to say what the consequences of being blacklisted are or if those who are blacklisted will still be allowed to travel via airplane.

The new regulation identifies ten forms of airline passenger misconduct, including attacking or blocking boarding gates, security check passages, and check-in counters.

The rule also identifies fighting inside the airport or onboard the aircraft, and opening the emergency exits without instructions.

"Attempting to force entry to the cockpit or spreading false information about terrorists attacks or terrorist onboard the airplane will also blacklist the passengers involved," the association said.

According to the China Air Transport Association, the personal information of passengers who will be found performing any of the 10 forms of misconducts will be recorded. The record will then be shared to airline companies.

TravelSky Holding Co, a government-owned service provider of aviation information, will also be given a copy of the list.

The new rules say that the personal record of those who will be blacklisted will remain in the list for up to two years.

However, the new regulation allows airline passengers involved to appeal the blacklisting before the China Air Transport Association.

At least 100 million Chinese are expected to travel abroad this year and more are traveling around the country. That means airlines and airport personnel will be face to face with passengers of different attitudes.

The new regulation, one analyst said, will hopefully cut the rising number of reports involving rowdy Chinese airline passengers.

TagsChina Travel, china airport, China tourists