Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet and TUI passengers could be 'kicked off flight' over tarmac rule

Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet and TUI passengers have been warned that they could be booted off their flight if they break an obscure rule

Passengers flying with popular budget airlines such as Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet and TUI could be in for a surprise if they disregard a lesser-known rule.

Travellers could face being removed from their flights due to an obscure regulation prohibiting photography on the tarmac.

A TikTok video posted by a traveller recently went viral, alerting passengers of these airlines to this rule after he was ejected from a flight for what appeared to be an innocent mistake.

Read more Flight attendant explains secret code word they use for passengers they fancy

Jimmy Mitchell was removed from a Jetstar flight from Sydney to Brisbane and took to social media to share his experience while stranded at the airport terminal.

The father pulled out his phone to quickly capture a photo of his wife, Pauline, and their children as they boarded the plane.

Unbeknown to him, there had been a warning against using phones on the tarmac during refuelling.

After being escorted off the plane, Mr Mitchell expressed his frustration: "This is the worst experience I've ever had flying.

"I try and get on the plane, I take a photo of my kids as they get on the plane, in flight mode, and the lady calls me an idiot.

"I turned around in disbelief because I was half way up the stairs at this point. I basically stormed over to her and I was like, 'Are you serious? What did you just call me?'

"She was basically saying 'you can't take photos on the tarmac, you can't take photos on the tarmac'.", reports the Mirror.

Jimmy suggested that the situation could have been better managed if he had simply been asked to put his phone away.

It's common knowledge that airport security zones and tarmacs are areas where passengers are usually told to keep their phones tucked away.

Although there's no law against snapping photos in public spaces, UK airports, being private entities, do have the right to ban photography - a rule most of them enforce, particularly in secure areas.

When you're not in a secure zone, and when the photos are for personal rather than commercial use, it's generally acceptable. Areas before Customs Arrivals typically impose restrictions on electronic devices and photography.

Airlines and airport staff often use their discretion to decide when to allow photography and when to ask passengers to stop.

Jetstar clarified that phone usage is not allowed on the tarmac "as this is an operational space and we remind customers of this via gate PAs".

A spokesperson for the airline said: "All our customers and team members have the right to feel respected when flying with us or when at work and we're looking into what took place in this instance."