A law imposing fines of up to QR30,000 on airline passengers who smoked or damaged smoke-detectors onboard was issued in Qatar yesterday. The same punishment may be given to airline passengers caught operating electronic devices during their journey. The fine will be doubled in case of repeating the offence. The new law, which contains additions and amendments to civil aviation regulations, has been ratified by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. According to the law, a passenger who fails to abide by the pilot’s security-related instructions is liable to be jailed for up to three years or fined QR100,000. Similar punishment can be meted out for drunkenness or drug consumption that affects the safety of the plane or leading to diversion of its route or sabotaging the equipment in the cockpit or onboard the aircraft. Also, passengers perpetrating physical, sexual or verbal assault on crew members will be subjected to the same penalty . The law is applicable if the offence is committed on planes in Qatari airspace or on aircraft that is state-registered or rented or while landing in Qatar and if the violator is a citizen or an expatriate. By Nour Abuzant Staff Reporter

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