Furious After Elbow Was Touched While Sleeping, Passenger Threatens to Kick and Forces Flight Attendant to Kneel

Passenger Continues to Protest Despite Repeated Apologies from Flight Attendant

Controversy has arisen after it was revealed that a flight attendant from a Chinese airline kneeled multiple times to apologize after accidentally touching a passenger's elbow during in-flight service.

A flight attendant of China Eastern Airlines kneeling multiple times to apologize after accidentally touching a passenger's elbow during in-flight service. Chinese social media site.

According to Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily on October 1st, on the afternoon of September 28th, a China Eastern Airlines flight from Hefei to Dalian was involved in the incident. While pushing a cart to serve drinks, a flight attendant accidentally touched the elbow of a male passenger who was asleep.

Passenger A, who filmed the incident, told the media that although the flight attendant immediately apologized, the passenger did not accept it. The attendant then knelt to apologize two or three times. A explained, "The flight attendant knelt two or three times, and it lasted for quite a while," adding, "I was not able to capture the entire situation on video."

According to A, the cart was not moving quickly at the time and there was no bleeding from the passenger. The chief flight attendant brought an ice pack and placed it on the passenger’s elbow in response. Subsequently, it was reported that the passenger requested to be taken to a hospital for a check-up after getting off the plane.

Online claims also emerged that the passenger shouted loudly and used abusive language after hitting his elbow on the cart. Although the flight attendant knelt and apologized and the chief flight attendant tried to mediate, the passenger continued to protest. It was only after the on-board security staff intervened that the situation calmed down.

After the plane landed, medical staff examined the passenger but found no signs of trauma or swelling. The passenger reportedly refused to accompany them to the hospital and left the airport on his own.

As the controversy grew, China Eastern Airlines issued an official statement on the afternoon of September 30th, explaining the situation. The airline stated that the flight attendant was continuously alerting passengers as she moved the cart, but she accidentally touched the elbow of the sleeping passenger.

The company further explained that the attendant immediately apologized multiple times, but the passenger reacted angrily, used harsh language, and even threatened to kick the attendant. After the flight arrived, the passenger demanded to be escorted to a hospital for examination, which frightened the flight attendant.

China Eastern Airlines emphasized, "We are reviewing the entire incident and securing evidence together with the parties involved," adding, "We will strictly uphold the minimum safety standards in aviation and protect our employees’ professional dignity in accordance with the law and regulations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.