Chaos erupted on a packed AirAsia X flight from Chongqing to Kuala Lumpur on April 22 when a female passenger launched into a tirade against cabin crew for speaking English. The woman reportedly leapt to her feet during announcements, shouting: "Why does an international flight not speak Chinese?" before yelling "I am China!"
Eyewitnesses said the situation escalated after she refused to switch her phone to flight mode during taxiing. When another passenger began filming the breach, the woman allegedly became "uncontrollable", claiming she was an off-duty flight attendant for a rival airline and insisting she was "filming a reality show". She demanded an apology from those recording her outburst.
Crew members tried to calm her, but she refused to sit down or comply, forcing the pilot to return the aircraft to the gate. Security rushed in as the plane was sent back, and the flight was delayed by nearly two hours before police boarded and removed the woman for "disrupting public order on an aircraft", according to airport authorities.
The flight eventually took off at 3.46am and landed safely at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 8.14am, but some passengers missed onward connections and were forced to wait a full day for the next available flights. AirAsia X boss Benyamin Ismail backed the crew's handling of the ordeal, saying: "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." Meanwhile, China Southern Airlines denied the woman's claim that she worked for them, stating: "The person involved is not an employee of our company."
