China steps up legal efforts to address ‘air rage’ and other acts endangering civil aviation safety

China's Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Wednesday issued a judicial interpretation on the application of law in cases involving the safety of civil aviation, which provides for severe punishment for acts such as disruptive "air rage" and fabricating terror information, according to a press conference held by the Supreme People's Court on Wednesday, CCTV News reported.

The document consists of seven articles and will take effect on Thursday. In response to current conditions and key issues in punishing criminal offenses that endanger the safety of civil aviation in accordance with the law, the interpretation sets out how to apply the Criminal Law and implement relevant policies, according to the report.

First, it elaborates on the punishment of disruptive "air rage" acts, such as the unauthorized opening of civil aircraft cabin doors and fighting or brawling inside the cabin. According to the interpretation, not all acts of the unauthorized opening of civil aircraft cabin doors constitute criminal offenses. Only when a cabin door is opened without authorization while the civil aircraft is moving under its own power or during flight, and poses a risk to public safety, can it be considered constituting the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous means.

The interpretation adopts a list-based approach to define standards for conviction and sentencing for the crime of violence endangering flight safety, which applies to violent acts committed on a civil aircraft in flight. It specifically clarifies that acts involving violence against civil aviation crew members may constitute the crime of violence endangering flight safety. 

Second, it calls for the strict punishment of crimes involving the fabrication and deliberate dissemination of false terror information related to the safety of civil aviation.

The interpretation stipulates that if an individual's act affects the normal operation of civil aviation flights or civil airports, or prompts public security, armed police, fire rescue, health quarantine and other departments to respond, it will be treated as a criminal offense. If it causes a serious social impact or significant economic losses, it will be deemed to have caused serious consequences, and a sentence of imprisonment of more than five years will be imposed.

Third, it clarifies the principles of territorial jurisdiction for criminal cases involving threats to the safety of civil aviation.

The interpretation specifies that for criminal cases occurring inside a civil aircraft, if the individual is apprehended during the flight, the case will fall under the jurisdiction of the people's court where the aircraft first lands after the incident. When necessary, jurisdiction may be exercised by the people's courts in the place of departure, stopover, or destination of the civil aircraft, to avoid possible jurisdictional disputes in practice.

"The issuance of the judicial interpretation is of great significance," Wang Yanan, editor-in-chief of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Essentially, by clarifying judicial standards, it addresses the long-standing issue of ambiguous penalties for violations such as disruptive "air rage" and brings acts that seriously endanger the safety of civil aviation within the scope of criminal regulation, thereby responding to society's dual demands for the safety of civil aviation operations and judicial fairness, Wang said.

In 2025, China's civil aviation industry handled 770 million passenger trips, representing a 5.5 percent year-on-year increase.