Airline will compensate passengers over onboard smoking incident

China United Airlines on Monday agreed to apologize and compensate some passengers after six people were caught smoking on or just outside a plane.

The captain of the Saturday flight from Chengdu to Beijing apparently refused to explain why he and the crew didn't stop them sooner since the plane landed safely.

"The captain even said 'they can smoke as long as I agree,'" according to one passenger.

The budget carrier under China Eastern Airlines said it would give a full refund and provide 1,800 yuan (US$293) in compensation to 23 passengers.

The captain will apologize to the passengers, who will also be given a free ticket for any domestic flight, the airline added.

"The passengers evaded airport security checks and brought matches and cigarettes onto the plane," the airline said in a statement. Matches are banned on aircraft but are difficult to detect in airport security checks.

A male passenger was found smoking in one of the plane's toilets an hour after the aircraft took off from Chengdu at 10pm. The flight attendant asked the passenger to hand over the matches and cigarette.

Two hours later, after the plane was diverted to Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province because of bad weather in Beijing, five passengers were seen smoking on the stairs while the aircraft was parked on the apron, a passenger surnamed Bai said.

"It was extremely dangerous," Bai said. The fuel tank was beside them. The flight attendants stopped them while one of the smokers threw his butt on the ground and stepped on it, according to a short video taken by Bai.

The airline said it has contacted the airport authority in Chengdu about the incident so that it beefs up security checks of flammable items.