After a passenger in the front seat reclined, a female passenger, upset by the move, was caught placing both feet on the seatback in protest, stirring controversy.
Foreign media including the U.K. Daily Mail and the U.S. New York Post said on the 27th (local time) that the incident occurred aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Doha, Qatar, to Moscow, Russia.
According to witnesses, the female passenger, believed to be Russian, reacted angrily when the passenger in front reclined the seat. Identified as A, the passenger, wearing sneakers, put both feet on the front seatback and shook the chair, and was even said to have clapped with her feet by banging them together.
Because of this, the female passenger in the front seat who was working on a laptop had to lean forward, causing discomfort.
One witness said, "Flight attendants tried multiple times to persuade her to lower her legs, but she wanted to continue the flight in that position." The video also shows a flight attendant squatting in the aisle repeatedly asking her to remove her feet.
Some speculated that A had requested a seat upgrade, was denied, and took this action in protest out of dissatisfaction. Other passengers responded with mockery, saying, "Is this business class?"
The affected passenger said, "There is a saying that you can take a person out of a dirty environment, but you cannot take the dirtiness out of the person," expressing displeasure.
This is not the first time a passenger has invaded another's space with their feet in a cabin. Previously, on Singapore Airlines, a scene of a passenger placing bare feet on the front seat was made public, sparking controversy.
In Korea as well, in 2024, a photo of a passenger putting both feet on the front seat inside an aircraft spread, fueling widespread criticism. At the time, online users reacted by saying, "No basic manners in public places," and "An out-of-bounds act."
The aviation industry says active intervention by flight attendants is necessary against disruptive in-flight behavior such as putting feet on seats. According to the industry, actions that undermine cabin safety or harm other passengers are subject to sanctions by all airlines.
Under the current Aviation Security Act, if a passenger fails to follow a flight attendant's legitimate instructions in the course of duty, the passenger may face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won.