China Southern Airlines denies link to passenger after dispute on AirAsia China–Malaysia flight

China Southern Airlines has confirmed that a woman involved in a viral confrontation aboard an AirAsia flight is not affiliated with the company, following widespread attention online.

According to Beijing News, the airline stated that the individual had no employment or association with the carrier.

“After verification, the person involved is not our employee and has no connection with our company,” the airline said.

The clarification comes after the woman reportedly identified herself as an off-duty flight attendant with China Southern Airlines during the incident.

Incident unfolds before departure

The disruption occurred in the early hours of 22 April on AirAsia flight D7809, scheduled to depart from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The flight had been scheduled to take off at 2.00am and land at 6.45am.

However, due to the incident, departure was delayed until 3.46am, with arrival pushed back to 8.14am.

AirAsia later confirmed to the New Straits Times that the incident took place before departure and required intervention from both crew and authorities.

Dispute triggered by language barrier

Reports indicate that the altercation began when a non-Chinese passenger seated nearby asked the woman, in English, to lower her voice while she was speaking on the phone before take-off.

A misunderstanding followed, escalating into a verbal dispute. The woman alleged that the passenger had filmed her and demanded that the footage be deleted.

Cabin crew attempted to mediate the situation, initially communicating with her in English.

The exchange reportedly intensified as communication difficulties persisted.

Escalation during crew intervention

During the confrontation, the woman expressed frustration over the language used by both the passenger and airline staff.

She was heard questioning loudly why no Mandarin-speaking crew were available on an international flight.

“Why is it that on an international flight, no cabin crew can speak Chinese?” she said.

A Mandarin-speaking ground staff member was later called to assist in calming the situation.

The woman continued to challenge the circumstances, stating: “I was making a phone call and he filmed me. Why did he film me? What right does he have? I tried to communicate with him, but he kept speaking English. I am Chinese. Why does he keep speaking English?”

She further criticised the service standards, saying: “People on an international flight cannot even speak basic Chinese. If they cannot communicate clearly, how can they work in the service industry?”

Passenger refuses to comply

Despite repeated efforts by crew members to de-escalate the situation, the woman remained uncooperative and continued to argue.

She insisted that her only demand was for the video to be deleted and for an apology to be issued.

“I did nothing wrong. My only request is that he deletes the video and apologises,” she said.

The situation worsened when she reportedly challenged the crew’s authority, declaring: “What impact have I had on the flight? If this is not handled properly today, then nobody flies.”

Removal by authorities

AirAsia stated that the aircraft was required to return to the bay after the passenger failed to comply with crew instructions.

Local authorities were subsequently called and boarded the aircraft.

The woman was then removed for safety reasons.

The airline confirmed that the delay lasted one hour and 22 minutes before the flight was able to depart.

AirAsia X Bhd general manager Benyamin Ismail commended the cabin crew for managing the situation professionally and in line with established procedures.

He also expressed appreciation for the swift response by authorities in ensuring the safety and security of passengers on board.

The flight later arrived safely at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2.