A single careless word at an airport or on board an aircraft can cost Kazakhstanis a fine of 21 million tenge or five years in prison. The Civil Aviation Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan has reminded the public about prohibited statements, reports infohub.kz.
The agency stressed that words such as "bomb," "explosion," "terrorist," "weapon," and "hijacking" can indicate a security threat. Any information about a possible danger is taken seriously, and crew members and aviation security services are required to follow established procedures.
"This may seem like an overreaction, but for aviation it is not. The crew cannot determine by ear whether it was a joke, a slip of the tongue, or real information about a threat," the Civil Aviation Committee said.
Any careless remark triggers a whole set of aviation security measures: inspection of the aircraft and baggage, calling in special services, evacuating passengers, or restricting access to the airport.
As a result, an accidental joke can lead to the replacement of the aircraft, postponement of the flight, and additional costs for the airport and the airline.
Under Article 273 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a knowingly false report of an impending act of terrorism is punishable by a fine of up to 5,000 monthly calculation indices (21.6 million tenge), corrective labor, restriction of freedom, or imprisonment for up to five years.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that international airports had begun placing reminders on boarding passes, warning Kazakhstanis about criminal liability for bomb jokes on board.