Singapore police and courts will get wider powers to deal with troublemakers on flights when new laws are passed in the next six to 12 months.
The move will come before a global ruling by the United Nations aimed at tackling the growing problem of unruly air passengers, The Straits Times has learnt.
Under current international civil aviation laws stipulated by the Tokyo Convention, Singapore can take action only if the culprit arrives on Singapore Airlines (SIA) or other Singapore carriers.
This means that troublemakers on foreign carriers usually get off scot-free. To plug this loophole, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) – the UN’s civil aviation arm – aims to replace the Tokyo Convention with the Montreal Protocol.
The new protocol, expected to come into force within two to three years, will give countries more teeth to deal with offences such as travellers refusing to comply with safety instructions and physically or verbally abusing cabin crew.
Singapore, which plans to enact its own laws before the global mandate, has consulted airlines operating at Changi Airport.
All support the initiative, according to a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. «The ability to take such law enforcement action would be a strong deterrence against unruly behaviour on board aircraft arriving in Singapore,» she said. «This would enhance Singapore’s status as a safe and secure air hub»…
