Passengers from the Chinese Taishan cruise liner disembark in Seoul. [Photo/China Daily]

For the first time, airline passengers have been blacklisted for uncivilized behavior. Their names will remain on the blacklist for one or two years, according to an announcement by the China Air Transport Association on Saturday.

Already fined for their actions, the three people named are the first to be put on the blacklist since the regulations on keeping a record of uncivilized air passengers took effect on Feb 1. The blacklisting means they will not be able to travel by air until their names are removed from the list.

Blacklisting passengers who defy the rules for travelling by air and so place their own interests before everything else, including safety, has long been overdue.

Whether by using an electronic device against the instructions of the cabin crew while a plane was landing, or by throwing a carton of milk at security personnel when told to drink the milk before passing through security, or by pushing a member of the ground staff onto the floor to express grievance at the delay of a flight, the three showed no regard to the rules they should follow or to decent behavior.

There have been frequent reports of passengers making a scene when their flight was delayed or when they believed that they were not treated as they should be on a flight.

Yet it is natural for some flights to be delayed because of reasons such as bad weather or mechanical problems that need to be solved. However, some passengers seem to take it for granted that their flight must take off at the time stated on their ticket, and they even assume that the members of the cabin crew are simply there to do their bidding.

They forget that they should behave themselves in the first place and that respect is reciprocal. There is no reason for them to be respected when they do not show enough respect for others.

Abiding by rules can never be overestimated when it comes to flight safety. No one has the right to disregard the rules for any reason.

Of course, airlines should provide quality services to meet the needs of passengers. Yet, even if passengers are not satisfied with the service provided, there is still no reason for them to flout the rules that are designed for the safety of all.

The blacklisting of these three passengers should serve for others to know they have to toe the line.