(Reuters) - Airline crews
and ground staff are assaulted, passengers storm a runway, and a person
yanks open an emergency exit door on a plane.
In China, angry
passengers are resorting to extreme measures to protest delays as the
country's restricted air corridors are becoming clogged with millions of
new fliers each year -- a fact attributed to the fast rise of the
middle class and cheap flights.
There have been dozens of
incidents involving irate travelers on both domestic and international
flights this year, as airlines struggle to stick to their schedules.
"When
flights get delayed, passengers make a lot of trouble. Sometimes they
even beat our staff," Wang Zhenghua, founder and chairman of
Shanghai-based budget carrier Spring Airlines, told Reuters in an
interview earlier this year.
"Airlines are actually the weaker
party. With the government calling for a 'harmonious society', the only
thing we can do is to give them compensation to calm them down."
With
manufacturers predicting a new plane will take to China's skies every
other day for the next two decades, industry officials say congestion is
only going to get worse. And that means more delays.
Some 30
years ago, flying was a travel option only available to top government
and company officials who needed to submit a special document from their
employer to buy a plane ticket.
While most Chinese people still
use trains for long-distance travel because of the lower cost, rising
income and cheaper flights as a result of increased competition means
more are now using planes.
Over 270 million passengers flew on
domestic routes in China last year, up nearly 10 percent from 2010 and
over 70 percent from 2003, according to government data. The
International Air Transport Association projects 379 million will be
flying domestically by 2014.
Airlines have been adding planes to
keep pace with the increased demand. Boeing predicts China will need to
add 5,260 new airliners worth $670 billion over the next 20 years.
OVER THE TOP
Airlines
are increasing the number of flights but with China's air force
controlling much of the airspace, flight delays are likely to become
increasingly common.
The results can be over the top.
Earlier
this year around 20 angry passengers dashed toward the runway at
Shanghai's main international airport, coming within 200 meters of an
oncoming plane from the United Arab Emirates. Their action was sparked
by a 16-hour flight delay.
It was not clear why they charged on
to the tarmac, unless they were seeking to create a scene in order to
boost their chances of getting compensation.
In August, two
passengers furious after being refused compensation for a delay yanked
open an emergency exit door on their plane -- resulting in a further
delay.
An Australian pilot and crew were surrounded and
threatened by an angry mob in October after a Jetstar flight, which
originated in Melbourne, was diverted from Beijing to Shanghai because
of bad weather, Australian media reported.
That incident echoed
another involving a United Airlines flight that was delayed for three
days in Shanghai. Media reported frustrated passengers started shouting
and rushed at the pilots.
Last week, angry passengers came to
blows with ground staff after their flight was delayed from Guiyang in
southwestern China, according to a witness.
"The staff's attitude
was bad, so I can understand their anger but I strongly disagree with
police not arresting the passengers," said the 28-year-old office
worker, who only gave her last name as Tong.
There have been
other equally bizarre, yet peaceful acts. A group of passengers sang
songs over the public announcement system after airline staff deserted
the terminal in Shanghai when all flights were grounded due to a
thunderstorm this year.
The cause of these protests partly lies
with the Chinese carriers themselves. It is not uncommon for passengers
to have to wait for hours inside a plane or at the boarding gate without
any information about how long the delay might last.
"In the
past, only 'first class' people had the privilege to travel by plane so
the average Chinese has very high expectations for services," said Li
Yuliang, an independent civil aviation commentator who is also the chief
trainer for China Eastern Airline's Shandong office.
"But when
they actually fly, they find the services are not as good, especially
when there is a delay, and these disappointed passengers make a lot of
trouble."
In the case of the runway protest in Shanghai in April,
all passengers, including those who ran out to the tarmac, were given
1,000 yuan ($160) each in compensation from the carrier, Shenzhen
Airlines. None of the protesters were reprimanded.
According to
the Civil Aviation Administration of China, about a quarter of the 2.4
million domestic flights were delayed in 2011. The ratio is roughly
comparable with delays seen in Britain but this data does not reflect
delays that occur after all the passengers have boarded the plane.
TIGHT AIRSPACE
China's
skies are hardly crowded, but its restricted routes are. Experts and
pilots say airspace allocated for commercial use is only around 20
percent.
"The airspace is too small. It's like an eight-lane
highway with just two lanes open," said Jeff Zhang, a pilot at one of
the top three Chinese carries.
In addition, the lack of
up-to-date equipment at airports, such as those used to navigate pilots
in bad weather, relatively stricter safety standards and the scarcity of
trained air controllers are also adding to flight delays, they say.
With
the military unlikely to make more space available for commercial use,
it is up to the airlines and aviation authorities to make the best use
of the resources they have, for example, by using bigger planes or
upgrading equipment.
"As a pilot, I want to fly as soon as
possible too because I don't get paid when I'm on the ground. The
airlines don't like delays either since they want to use their aircraft
as many times as possible," said Zhang.
"No one likes delays. But this is all because of the narrow airspace." ($1 = 6.2253 Chinese yuan)
Source: http://uk.reuters.com
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