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BJ Airport Authorities Call to Crack Down on Overzealous Fans
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Who has the ability to outwit the FBI in a cyber manhunt? Outmaneuver the KGB in last-minute getaways? And out-kick the IDF in hand-to-hand combat? The answer in China appears to be the formidable fangirls and boys who routinely populate China's airports, hoping to get a glimpse of their favorite idol.
Now, it appears that the Chinese authorities have had enough, according to Beijing Daily (bjd.com.cn). During the Two Sessions held in Beijing this past week, Li Jian, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) raised the issue of fan communities gathering at airports and generally causing chaos, and in some cases, harm to other travelers as they go to great lengths to photograph, seek signatures from, or generally harass celebrities.
Airports are usually just the frontline for these fearless and obsessive warriors, as some fans are not content with waiting anxiously at the arrival gate but go as far as to abuse a loophole in first-class tickets, which allows them to access the VIP lounge prior to flights and refund them last-minute at almost no cost just before takeoff, adding an extra burden to flight staff all the while.
The practice has in part also been spurred on by promotional companies – and therefore indirectly by celebrities themselves – who fund fans to create a scene for photo ops. Add the coronavirus and the call for social distancing into the mix and you have yourself an equation for untold potential harm.
However, this is not the first time that regulations have taken aim at unruly fans. In early 2018, the CAAC rolled out its first lot of regulations designed to curb its control of fan gatherings at airports, threatening to crack down and cause delays of aircraft or disturb public order as well as more broad rules on behavior such as carrying prohibited items or contraband, using forged documents, and smoking e-cigarettes onboard planes. Additionally, steps were taken internally to prohibit crew members and airport staff from leaking information about where and when celebrities would be flying. The notification claimed that any behavior in violation of these rules would be severely punished. By mid-2018, the first list of 86 passengers blacklisted from boarding planes for one year was published on the CAAC’s official website.
Despite the measures, fans and paparazzi continue to cause trouble at airports across China, with many seemingly unfazed by the prospect of being blacklisted. Only time will tell whether anything comes from the CAAC's deputy director's call for tighter control. For now, it appears that celebrities – and any poor soul that gets between them and their rabid fans – are on their own.
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Photo: Beijing Daily
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