Air passengers in India who fail to use headphones when listening to music or watching videos on board could face prosecution, government ministers have reminded the public. The comments came during a parliamentary discussion about passenger behaviour on commercial flights.
Existing Indian aviation laws already cover the consequences for “unruly behaviour.” Any disturbance that “interferes with the performance of duties of crew members, jeopardises the safety of the aircraft, persons or property on board, affects good order and discipline, or causes discomfort to other passengers and crew members” can be penalised, resulting in passengers being removed from flights, restrained under the pilot’s orders, or taken into custody. Penalties from the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) can include hefty fines and up to two years in prison.
Responding to an MP’s question on aviation law, India’s Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told parliament on 12 February 2026 that authorities would “act on complaints,” suggesting that, though rules already exist to govern this area, they would start to be more strictly enforced.
So I board this @airvistara flight, and the dude in front of me has his phone on a speaker, no earphones. "Sorry", he says " my earphones are not working, am in a conf call".
— Jaspreet Bindra : Homo Promptus (@j_bindra) March 11, 2020
Dude, in my time, we used to hold our phone to our ears. Works brilliantly. Remember?#bangaloreITdudes
Mohol went on to clarify the difference between the ambient music played on planes during flight phases such as boarding and arrival, which is an acceptable use of sound, and the use of passengers’ personal devices, such as mobile phones or other electronic gadgets with no headphones to play entertainment out loud.
The minister also took the opportunity to point out that vlogging and photography inside aircraft are restricted activities that require prior authorisation under Rule 13 of the Aircraft Rules.
It’s worth noting that in line with US Federal Aviation Administration and EU Aviation Safety Agency guidelines, most airlines allow the use of wireless headphones above 10,000 feet (so not during take-off and descent). However, some do not. Emirates forbids all wireless headphones, and China Southern requires pre-approved models. Passengers may be asked to remove headphones to listen to cabin announcements or respond to the crew. Noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones are usually permitted, but their beware in-flight rules on batteries and charging. Again, some crews request ANC deactivation during safety briefings.
The use, or not, of in-flight entertainment became the subject of a viral trend last year and coined the term “rawdogging” to describe the act of travel without any distractions, including refreshments, music, or films. Rawdoggers embrace the mental discipline and mindfulness demanded by refraining from any amusements during travel, while critics have questioned the health impacts of the practice.
