Passenger bites flight attendant during heated dispute over body odour, delaying flight by two hours

A Shenzhen Airlines flight was delayed for two hours after a cabin crew member was bitten while attempting to break up a fight between two passengers.

A flight from Shenzhen to Shanghai was delayed for two hours after an onboard dispute between two passengers turned violent, resulting in a flight attendant being bitten, reported the South China Morning Post.

The two passengers involved in the altercation were taken away by police. (Representational Image/Pexel)

According to Shenzhen Airlines, the incident occurred on April 1 as the plane was preparing for takeoff. The conflict erupted between two women seated near each other—one complaining about the other’s body odor, while the other objected to the strong scent of her fellow passenger’s perfume. Their verbal exchange quickly escalated into a physical altercation.

Four cabin crew members—two female flight attendants and two male colleagues—stepped in to defuse the situation. However, as they attempted to separate the passengers, one of the attendants was bitten.

A video of the incident captures the attendant shouting, “Open your mouth. You have bitten me!” The airline confirmed that the crew member sustained minor injuries to her arm and was immediately taken to a hospital, where she was reported to be in a “non-serious condition.”

The two passengers involved in the altercation were taken away by police. It remains unclear what consequences they will face.

Following the incident, all passengers were asked to deboard before reboarding two hours later.

Airline issued statement

Shenzhen Airlines later issued a statement emphasising the importance of maintaining order during flights. “Shenzhen Airlines does its best to safeguard the legal rights of both passengers and its employees. We call on passengers to obey the rules and take your trips in a civilised manner,” the airline said.

The incident sparked widespread discussion on mainland Chinese social media, with many users criticising the behaviour of the passengers involved.

“These two women should be blacklisted from taking any planes and trains in the future. Such irrational people will pose a danger in any venue,” one user wrote.

Another commented on the risks faced by flight attendants, saying, “How hard an attendant’s job is! I suggest this attendant take some vaccines to make sure she has not been infected by any viruses because of being bitten by the passenger.”

Incidents involving unruly passengers frequently make headlines in China. In May last year, a flight from Taipei to Los Angeles saw two male passengers engage in a fight over a seat. A flight attendant attempting to intervene was struck on the head before authorities took the passengers into custody upon landing.