"I Want to Sit Next to My Girlfriend": Over Two Hours of Disruption Leads to Emergency Return 30 Minutes Before Arrival, Passengers in Shock

Demand to Sit Beside Partner Causes Two-Hour Disturbance, Forces Emergency Return
Airline Offers Only 49 Pounds in Compensation... Passengers Outraged

A bizarre incident occurred when a Japanese flight was forced to make an emergency return just before reaching its destination, Shanghai, due to a man causing a disturbance after demanding to move to the seat next to his girlfriend. The plane wasted about four hours returning to its origin, and hundreds of innocent passengers were left stranded at the airport overnight.

A flight attendant dealing with a passenger requesting a seat change. Photo by Daily Mail

According to foreign media such as the Daily Mail (UK) on December 2 (local time), Spring Airlines flight IJ005, which departed from Narita International Airport on December 1, was forced to turn back due to the disruptive behavior of a male passenger. The man demanded to exchange seats with another passenger so he could sit next to his girlfriend. When his request was denied, he persistently protested to the flight attendants with aggressive language and behavior from the moment he boarded.

Emergency Return 30 Minutes Before Arrival... Hundreds of Passengers Inconvenienced

The flight was scheduled to depart at 7:00 p.m. and arrive in Shanghai about three hours later, but the man continued to cause a disturbance throughout the flight. As the argument persisted for nearly two hours after takeoff, the captain reported the situation to Japanese authorities. Ultimately, the aircraft decided to return just 30 minutes before reaching Shanghai.

The plane arrived back at Narita around 11:00 p.m., and even after the police forcibly removed the disruptive passenger, the aircraft could not depart again immediately. Aviation regulations required that all passengers disembark. Passengers were stranded at the airport and had no choice but to wait for a rescheduled flight at 10:00 a.m. the next day.

The airline did not provide accommodation for the passengers, resulting in some spending the night on airport benches and experiencing significant inconvenience. The compensation provided by the airline was reportedly only about 49 pounds (95,000 won).

Spring Airlines is a low-cost carrier headquartered in Shanghai, China, operating mainly on routes within Asia. The incident has sparked criticism online, with many saying, "One person's selfishness stole hours from hundreds of people."

"Disturbance Over Seats"... In-Flight Incidents Continue

Meanwhile, on November 2, a similar incident occurred on Hong Kong low-cost carrier HK Express when a female passenger, unwilling to sit apart from her boyfriend, demanded a seat change, shouted at the flight attendants, and engaged in a physical altercation before being forcibly removed from the plane. This led to a delay of over 70 minutes in departure and caused significant inconvenience to other passengers. As incidents of passenger disturbances continue, there are growing calls for airlines to strengthen their safety manuals.