Welcome to China!

[Frogman1484]

A JETSTAR crew was held hostage for more than six hours by passengers angry over a flight delay last week.

The flight was destined for Beijing from Melbourne, but was diverted to Shanghai because of heavy fog in the Chinese capital, according to Fairfax reports.

The group of passengers reportedly held the crew hostage at Pudong Airport because they were upset at the delay and scared Jetstar would not honour a promise to keep them in hotels.

Police and the Australian embassy were called.

The pilot managed to get some of the crew released, but he stayed to calm the passengers until alternative arrangements for their travel were made.

Jetstar Flight JQ7 on an A330-200 flight was carrying Australian and Chinese nationals, and had a stopover in Singapore.

A Jetstar spokeswoman said the flight had been diverted due to heavy fog.

"Due to the unscheduled landing, there was a delay in arranging customs and immigration processing for our passengers which resulted in our crew exceeding their flying hours," she said.

"Our captain and crew assisted passengers in a calm and professional manner in what was a difficult situation for all involved."

Read more: Jetstar crew held hostage over delay | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/jetstar-crew-held-hostage-over-delay/story-e6frfq80-1226506918554#ixzz2AmgUMQKw)

[iceman50]

But JETSTAR are going to operate a LOCO into China, from HKG, and it will all be fine, 25 minute turnarounds piece of cake!:rolleyes:

[Australia2]

Assuming they can crew the aircraft that is ?!

Oz2

[Blogsey]

Not a lot of help from "Security" either apparently!
Not sure I'd have remained calm.

In what one passenger described as unbelievable scenes, no-one came to the aid of the pilot who was bailed up against a wall and being physically restrained by the passengers.

Read more: Jetstar Hostage Drama | Shanghai's Pudong Airport | No Help For Crew (http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-incidents/extremely-obnoxious-no-help-for-jetstar-crew-as-passengers-held-them-hostage-20121031-28j45.html#ixzz2AqZmnwn4)

[crwass]

Typical short sighted narrow minded selfish Choges

F&^K the lot of 'em..Idiots

Get a couple of Gatling guns and mow 'em all down...Cleaner air, less crowded places...how much better without them

[Bill Smith]

Should be charged for hijacking.
This behaviour is almost condoned in China now.

[8888]

I'd be more interested in hearing an accurate figure of what they're offering, to be honest. There's not much genuine info out on that one.

[Sue Ridgepipe]

Looks like the natives are getting restless again....

Wild scenes as passengers vent anger over delays (http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/wild-scenes-as-passengers-vent-anger-over-delays-20130107-2cbvr.html)

[Bob Hawke]

And they've just announced they're going to close the re-education work camps. How inappropriate.

[Pogie]

An article that I read said that the pilot was being called a hero for keeping his calm. I can say kudos to him for that, but on the other end, he's a moron for not pressing charges against these savages. They have to get it into their thick heads that this kind of barbaric behavior is unacceptable. If you let them get away with it once, it will return again.

[White None]

Completely Agree - that charges should be pressed

Completely Disagree - that foreign aircrew should have to take responsibility for it, get involved with the Chinese, "Judiciary System", be called to appear at subsequent proceedings in China? at own expense? creating bad press for their airline? risking job? ("Cannot" be assumed that ones company would support auch action), risk appearing in court and possibly having to face hostile xenophobic crowds outside etc etc.

Solution - THE AIRLINES pressure authorities, (Security Staff, Management, Police, whoever?? ) to prosecute,

Pogie..... Wanna reconsider/redirect your "Moron" statement?

[Toruk Macto]

Good chance the judge you face Monday morning will have been affected some way by the closure of the airport . If it was not family , friend or mistress it may have been him leading the riot . Unless you got powerfull or rich friends in China best not poke the bear !

[rick.shaw]

I agree with White None.

The reality of China is that it's all about money, power and connections.

To quote Toruk above, the airline wouldn't be keen to 'poke the bear', as it were. Best to keep a low profile and just put up with it. I feel for the crews involved and certainly haven't had the displeasure of such a situation. If so faced, I would love to lash out and floor the first person who lay their hands on me. But again, the reality is that I would probably be the one who would end up in jail.

Kudos to the crew,and the Captain in particular, for handling the situation so well.

[Pucka]

Surely, that's what both IATA and ICAO exist for..to provide legal balance and representation to and for the Airlines they represent, when the various Conventions are contravened??