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Civil Aviation Act 1990

Unruly passenger offences - Unruly passenger offences

65G: Disruptive conduct towards crew member

You could also call this:

“No bad behaviour or words towards airplane crew”

If you are on an aircraft, you must not behave badly towards the crew. This means you can’t use words that are threatening, offensive, or insulting when talking to them. You also can’t act in a way that is threatening, offensive, insulting, or disorderly towards the crew.

You must not do anything that gets in the way of crew members doing their job. This includes both accidental and purposeful interference.

If you use bad words or behave badly towards the crew, or accidentally interfere with their work, you might have to pay up to $5,000 if you are found guilty.

If you purposely interfere with a crew member’s work, you could go to jail for up to 2 years or have to pay up to $10,000 if you are found guilty.

If you are accused of using offensive or insulting words, you might not get in trouble if you can prove you had good reason to think the crew wouldn’t hear what you said.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM217119.

Topics:
Transport and travel > Air travel Crime and justice > Criminal law
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65F: Strict liability for acts endangering safety, or

"You can be punished for putting an aircraft or its passengers in danger"

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65H: Interference with aircraft, or

"It's against the law to mess with or damage planes or their parts"

Part 5A Unruly passenger offences
Unruly passenger offences

65GDisruptive conduct towards crew member

  1. Every person commits an offence who, while in an aircraft,—

  2. uses any threatening, offensive, or insulting words towards a crew member; or
    1. behaves in a threatening, offensive, insulting, or disorderly manner towards a crew member; or
      1. behaves in a manner that interferes with the performance by a crew member of his or her duties; or
        1. intentionally interferes with the performance by a crew member of his or her duties.

          1. Every person who commits an offence against subsection (1)(a) or (b) or (c) is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.

          2. Every person who commits an offence against subsection (1)(d) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000.

          3. It is a defence in a prosecution under subsection (1)(a) for using offensive or insulting words if the defendant proves that he or she had reasonable grounds to believe that his or her words would not be overheard by a crew member.

          Notes
          • Section 65G: inserted, on , by section 28 of the Civil Aviation Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 8).
          • Section 65G(2): amended, on , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).
          • Section 65G(3): amended, on , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).