Due to a fight between flight attendants... Emergency slide suddenly deployed on Chinese passenger plane

Flight Attendant Conflict Triggers Emergency Slide Lever Activation
"No Impact on Aircraft Safety but Property Damage Charges Possible"

A dispute between flight attendants on board a passenger plane operated by a Chinese airline caused the emergency evacuation slide to deploy.

On the 30th, local media including China Xin Jing Bao reported that on the evening of the 28th, an emergency evacuation slide suddenly deployed on a China Eastern Airlines Airbus A320 passenger plane that had landed at Shanghai Pudong Airport and was moving to the gate.

The plane was carrying passengers heading to Pudong Airport. Although there were no casualties, the incident temporarily halted the operation of the aircraft.

Local media, citing a source, reported, "This incident occurred when one flight attendant had a conflict with another and operated the emergency slide lever." The media also stated, "Unauthorized operation of the emergency slide can result in compensation costs of up to several hundred thousand yuan depending on the aircraft model and the extent of slide damage." This is because the process of restoring a deployed slide is complicated, and if the slide is torn or damaged by sharp objects when deployed, restoration is impossible.

One media outlet conveyed a lawyer's opinion that "Since the incident occurred after the aircraft had landed, it is unrelated to flight safety; however, the act of operating and damaging the emergency slide can be punished as property damage." It is known that ordinary flight attendants who operate the slide in an emergency manner may face demotion or other disciplinary actions.

In response, the airline officially apologized for the incident on Weibo on the 30th. China Eastern Airlines stated, "This occurred during the process of an aircraft on the Xi'an?Shanghai route landing and passing the gate," and added, "The company promptly handled the issue according to procedures, and the passengers on the flight were properly protected."

They further added, "An additional investigation is underway, and once the results are out, they will be handled according to relevant laws and regulations."