Flight delays causing more confrontations

The increased frequency and length of flight delays is leading to increased reports of confrontations between frontline airline workers and frustrated passengers.

China Eastern Airlines responded Tuesday to an incident the day before in which a staffer fell face down on the ground after a passenger, whose flight from Beijing to Xi'an was delayed four hours, tapped him on the shoulder.

Witnesses said the worker simply feigned injury to avoid dealing with complaints.

Video footage showed the staffer lying silently on the ground as passengers walked past him and other staff calmly went about their duties.

Yu Runde, a passenger on the flight, told the Global Times that a passenger tapped the employee on the shoulder. He warned her not to do it again, and when she did he fell to the ground.

Yu said bad weather caused the delay, which ultimately lasted 12 hours.

Also on Monday, a passenger scratched a Hainan Airlines staffer's neck after her flight was delayed in Guangzhou, reported carnoc.com. 

An airline attendant wrote on her Sina Weibo Saturday that a passenger, who became agitated by a long delay, splashed her with cups of hot water.

Li Xiaojin, director with the Institute of Air Transport Economy of the Civil Aviation University of China (CAUC), said increased conflict is the result of many factors.

"A decade ago China had 120 million passengers a year, now there're 280 million," Li said, adding that time is money for passengers.