An AirAsia flight was delayed by approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes after a Chinese passenger engaged in a heated altercation with a crew member onboard.
According to Malaysian media outlets, including NST, the incident occurred on AirAsia flight D7809, which was scheduled to depart from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport in southwest China at 2 a.m. local time on the 22nd and head to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The passenger reportedly caused the disturbance because the crew had addressed her in English. In a video capturing the incident, the woman is heard arguing, “Shouldn’t international flight crew members be able to speak Mandarin? If you can’t even speak basic Mandarin, you have no right to work in the service industry.” Her voice grew louder, and she eventually shouted. Even after airport security personnel intervened, she defiantly asked, “What exactly did I do wrong?” She also demanded, “Who will compensate me for the time and money I’ve lost? If you don’t compensate me, this plane won’t take off. Let me make it clear—I’m from China.”
The video spread rapidly on social media, prompting netizens to criticize the passenger. Comments included, “Of course, they’ll speak English on an international flight” and “Should international flight crew members master all world languages?”
Siafeek Jismah, one of the crew members who handled the situation, explained the incident via Instagram. According to Jismah, the Chinese passenger initially became angry because her friend failed to clear immigration. Jismah stated, “I approached her and politely asked her to lower her voice, but since she didn’t understand English, another passenger helped translate. That only made her angrier, and she vented her frustration at the passenger who assisted me.” Jismah added, “We eventually asked a supervisor who speaks Mandarin to intervene, but the woman confronted the supervisor and demanded to disembark. The pilot ultimately decided to return the aircraft to the gate.”
AirAsia confirmed the disruption, stating the flight was returned to the gate after the passenger refused to comply with crew instructions, causing the 1 hour and 40 minute delay.
Benyamin Ismail, AirAsia’s general manager, said, “Local authorities swiftly handled the situation, and the passenger was disembarked for safety reasons. We commend our crew for professionally managing the situation according to established procedures and thank the local authorities for their prompt response to ensure passenger safety.”
