Cathay Pacific Airways, the flag carrier of Hong Kong, has banned a husband-and-wife duo from all future flights following a viral social media video that captured their abusive behavior towards a mainland Chinese woman.

The couple, who speak Cantonese, was caught harassing the woman, a Mandarin speaker from mainland China, after she declined to straighten her reclined seat. The incident, which occurred on a Hong Kong-London flight, sparked widespread outrage online.

Viral video sparks outrage

The altercation, filmed by the victim, was posted on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu and quickly went viral, amassing nearly 29,000 comments over the weekend.

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The woman claimed that the couple not only verbally abused her using racially discriminatory language but also physically kicked her during the dispute. In response to the uproar, Cathay Pacific issued a statement on Sunday, September 22, confirming the couple’s placement on its no-fly list. The airline reaffirmed its “zero-tolerance policy” toward disrespectful behaviour, vowing to uphold standards of conduct on all flights.

Incident Details: What happened onboard?

The incident occurred on September 17 during a flight from Hong Kong to London. The middle-aged couple accused the woman of blocking their view of the in-flight entertainment screen by reclining her seat. When she refused to adjust it, the situation escalated. According to the woman, the wife extended her legs onto the armrests of her seat, slapped her wrist, and began to berate her.

“When she realized I couldn’t speak Cantonese, she started calling me ‘mainland girl’ in a derogatory tone,” the woman told the South China Morning Post. The woman further alleged that the husband forcefully pushed the back of her seat, causing it to shake. At one point, the wife even made an obscene gesture, raising her middle finger.

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Cabin crew response and passenger support

The woman sought help from the cabin crew but was dismayed by their response. “I was shocked because it was not meal time, yet the flight attendant wanted me to compromise,” the woman said. “I rejected the suggestion,” media reports quoted her as saying.

Several fellow passengers came to her defence, verbally confronting the couple. “Don’t call yourself a Hong Konger, you bully,” one passenger said, while another asked, “How old are you? Why are you bullying a young girl?”

Social media reaction

The woman’s Xiaohongshu post garnered widespread sympathy, with many commenters condemning the couple’s behavior. One user remarked, “If they wanted more space, they should have paid for first-class seats.”

In a television interview on Sunday, the woman expressed gratitude for the support she received from other passengers, including several Hongkongers.

“When the first person spoke up, tears welled up in my eyes. I felt a deep sense of injustice but also relief that someone understood and spoke up for me,” she said, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

She emphasized that she views the incident as isolated and hopes it does not affect unity between Hong Kong and mainland China. Cathay Pacific’s swift decision to ban the couple underscores the airline’s commitment to maintaining a respectful and safe environment for all passengers.