"Can't You Even Speak Chinese?"... Flight Delayed After Woman Causes Disturbance Onboard

An incident occurred on an AirAsia flight when a Chinese passenger caused a disturbance, resulting in a flight delay.

According to Hong Kong media outlet The Standard and others on April 23 (local time), the previous day, on AirAsia flight D7809 from Chongqing, China to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a female passenger caused a commotion by protesting to the crew and other passengers.

A woman who caused a disturbance on a flight, sparking controversy. SNS

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The conflict began when the woman, who was visibly upset that her companion had not been allowed to board, made several loud phone calls on the plane. A Malaysian passenger who witnessed this asked her to lower her voice, which quickly escalated into a heated argument.

The situation then deteriorated further. When a crew member responded to her in English, the woman protested and demanded that they use Chinese. In video footage of the incident, she is seen criticizing the crew and even questioning their qualifications to operate an international flight. She claimed to be a flight attendant for China Southern Airlines, shouting, "I am Chinese. How can you operate international flights and not be able to speak proper Chinese?" However, China Southern Airlines stated that this woman is not their employee and has no connection to the airline.

Despite attempts by the crew to mediate, the situation did not deescalate, and airport authorities ultimately intervened. The woman was removed from the aircraft before departure, and as a result, the flight was delayed by more than one hour.

Meanwhile, video footage that spread online captured some passengers observing the situation, filming with their mobile phones, or even laughing. Witnesses described the atmosphere at the time as "abnormally relaxed," saying it felt as if they were watching a "live drama unfold on board."

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