Couple Detained for Blocking Plane at Beijing Airport
By Justine Lopez
In an effort to catch the plane they had missed, a couple ran onto the runway and blocked a plane at Beijing International Airport last week. They were promptly escorted from the scene by police and are now being detained for a total of five days, The Straits Times reports.
The couple were apparently angered after they missed the final boarding call for their Shanghai-bound flight on September 14. They ran onto the airport apron (an area that passengers are prohibited from entering), sat down in an act of protest and ultimately delayed the flight by 20 minutes.
A group of airport employees attempted to remove the couple from the area. However, the couple refused to move and were taken away by police.
The couple reportedly claimed to be angry that they’d missed their flight because the airline had failed to notify them about their boarding time. However, according to The Straits Times, the boarding time had been both announced at the airport and was printed on the passengers’ boarding passes.
According to Chinese law, any act of blocking runways or delaying flights will be punished by detainment for five to 10 days and a fine of RMB500.
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