A disruptive passenger was forcibly removed from an AirAsia X flight after she reportedly screamed at flight attendants for speaking English, causing a delay of nearly two hours. The incident occurred on flight D7809 from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in China to Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on 22 April.
Outburst Delays Flight
The flight, originally scheduled for a 2am departure, was grounded until 3.46am as security personnel dealt with the escalating situation. According to witnesses, the disturbance began when the passenger refused to switch her mobile phone to flight mode during taxiing. When a fellow traveller, identified as Mr Mou, began filming the safety protocol breach, the woman reportedly became 'uncontrollable'.
Passenger Claims to Be Flight Attendant
As cabin instructions were read out in English and Malay, the woman sprang to her feet and proudly exclaimed: 'I am from China!' She then shouted at the crew, demanding: 'Why does an international flight not speak Chinese?' The woman, who identified herself as an off-duty flight attendant for China Southern Airlines, demanded an apology from those filming her. However, a spokesperson for China Southern Airlines later denied that the woman was an employee, stating: 'The person involved is not an employee of our company.'
Crew Attempts De-escalation
AirAsia crew members attempted to calm the situation, but the woman refused to sit down or comply with safety instructions. Following standard protocol, the pilot returned the aircraft to the gate, where airport police were called to remove the passenger. A spokesperson for the Chongqing airport authorities confirmed that the passenger was escorted off the flight for 'disrupting public order on an aircraft'.
Flight Eventually Departs
The flight eventually landed safely in Kuala Lumpur at 8.14am. It is understood that some passengers missed connecting flights in Kuala Lumpur due to the delay, with several reportedly forced to wait 24 hours for the next available service. Benyamin Ismail, general manager of AirAsia X, stated: 'The pilot made the decision to return to the parking bay for the safety and order of the aircraft as the guest refused to follow instructions and interfered with the crew's duties.' He added: 'The guest was removed by the local authorities. We would like to praise our crew members for their professionalism in handling the situation according to the set procedures.'
Similar Incident Earlier This Year
The incident comes after an AirAsia flight was forced to make an emergency landing two hours after takeoff, leaving passengers stranded in Brisbane earlier this year. Flight D7221 was bound for Kuala Lumpur after departing Sydney. The plane began issuing the international code for a general emergency, referred to as 'squawking 7700', according to Flight Radar. The altitude of the plane dropped from 34,000ft to about 10,000 ft. All 142 passengers and the 11-person crew disembarked without incident.
