Passengers who boarded domestic flights in Brazil on Monday stepped onto planes with new rules. If someone turns violent, cabin crew can now hold the person down with physical force. In serious cases, the airline can end the trip early and make the offender disembark before the final destination.

The change comes from Resolution 800/2026 of Anac, Brazil's civil aviation regulator, approved in March and in force since Monday, according to the state news agency Agência Brasil and the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. It applies only to flights within the country. Penalties can reach a 12-month suspension of the right to board.

Anac's director-president, Tiago Faierstein, told journalists that the rule responds to increasingly serious episodes on board, such as assaults, attempts to open emergency exits and bomb threats.

"I like to draw a parallel with femicide: do we need to wait for someone to die before creating a rule? No. If there had been only one case, we would have made the rule anyway. A single case can turn into an air accident."

Faierstein made the remarks in an interview to detail the rules, Folha reported.

How the penalties work

Smoking on board is an example of a serious offense. Sexual harassment and racism are treated as the most serious category. For these cases the base fine is 17,500 reais, an amount that can be adjusted in an administrative process. Proof such as videos or witness accounts is required. Someone who commits the most serious act can also be placed on a "no fly list" that bars the person from buying tickets or boarding domestic flights of any airline for six to 12 months.

The penalty is applied by the airline involved in the incident, which must notify the passenger and guarantee the right of defense. Airlines will share the information needed to identify suspended passengers. Crew members, airlines and airport operators can also act on the spot: a warning, calling the police, restraining the passenger or removing the person from the aircraft.

What changes for passengers

• The rules apply from September 14, 2026, and only to domestic flights in Brazil.
• Cabin crew may use physical force to contain unruly passengers.
• In serious or most serious cases, the airline can end the transport contract and the passenger disembarks before the destination.
• Base fine of 17,500 reais for serious and most serious conduct.
• The most serious offenses can lead to a flight ban of six to 12 months across all airlines.