Mid-air brawl erupts on AirAsia X flight from KL to Chengdu over loud conversation

Mid-air brawl erupts on AirAsia X flight from KL to Chengdu over loud conversation
Sichuan authorities said five passengers were involved in the fight, which broke out over the volume level of a conversation.
PHOTO: Facebook

Unhappy with the loud conversations between a group of passengers seated near him on a flight, a man confronted them.

Cabin crew on the AirAsia X flight eventually had to step in to defuse the situation after the two parties came to blows.

The mid-air drama took place on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu on Monday (July 21) at around 10pm, said Sichuan police's airport bureau in a statement on Tuesday.

Investigations found that the brawl involved the male passenger, surnamed Lu, and a group of four other passengers — two women, surnamed Meng and Zhang, and two men, surnamed Bai and Lei.

The authority said the fight broke out after Lu was displeased with the volume of the group's conversation. 

Clips of the incident circulating online show a woman in a black and white T-shirt getting into an altercation with a man seated in the row in front of her, pulling at one of his belongings. 

The man retaliates, appearing to grab the woman's head, yanking her forward.

Another video shows a second woman, wearing a cap and green outerwear, throwing punches at the man as a female flight attendant restrains her from behind.

The flight attendant can also be overheard in the clips yelling at the passengers to remain in their seats.

Both Lu and Meng sustained scratches in the commotion, said Sichuan police, adding that Lu, Meng and Zhang were detained, while Bai and Lei have been fined.

In a statement to Malaysian publication Sin Chew Daily, AirAsia X confirmed the incident on board flight D7326.

The Malaysian airline said its cabin crew immediately handled the situation in a manner which followed safety protocols. The incident did not affect the return flight arrangement of the aircraft.

AirAsia X also said it has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that affects the flight experience, safety and comfort of others.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com

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