Upset by a delayed flight, at least two Chinese passengers decided to open emergency exit doors in protest as the airplane was taxiing, forcing it to abort takeoff and landing them in jail instead, police officials said yesterday.
The latest in a growing number of so-called “air rage” cases involving Chinese travelers happened early on Saturday morning in Kunming, China, after China Eastern Airlines Flight MU2036 was delayed by a snowstorm.
State broadcaster China Central Television said that angry passengers complained about the delay and a lack of ventilation, adding that a man surnamed Zhou (周) opened three emergency exits to prevent the airliner from taking off.
A total of 25 passengers — all with a single tour group — were held for questioning, while the rest continued to Beijing on a separate flight, the broadcaster said.
Kunming police officials said in an online statement that Zhou and a tour guide surnamed Li (李) had been placed under 15-day “administrative detention” for opening the doors and inciting passengers with false information.
The ventilation system had been turned off for 30 minutes during de-icing to prevent fumes from entering the cabin, China Eastern maintenance engineer Zhu Yun told reporters. Although the copilot had been dispatched to explain, passengers remained irate even after the aircraft left the gate, reports said.
“Opening those doors was extremely dangerous, because there was nothing to protect passengers from the force of the engines,” Zhu said.
China’s flight market is No. 2 in the world, but high traffic and tight control of airspace have given it the worst record for delays.
Cancelations, delays and service complaints spark frequent incidents of air rage at airports and aboard flights, including those to and from foreign destinations. Brawls among passengers and attacks on crew are often filmed and posted online.
Concerns over lengthy tarmac waits prompted US aviation authorities to pass regulations in 2010 that require aircraft to return to gates after three hours.
The China National Tourism Administration backed the police response and said it ordered its Beijing and Kunming offices to carry out further investigations, suggesting that more passengers could be implicated.
The names of all those found to have been involved would be placed on a “national uncivilized traveler record,” to be distributed to travel-related businesses, administration spokesman Zhang Jilin (張吉林) said in a statement.
Names can remain on such lists for up to 18 months, during which travel agencies can decide whether to accept listed travelers.
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