Why a Chinese Woman Scolded AirAsia Crew for Speaking English Instead of Mandarin

A Chinese female passenger was removed from an AirAsia flight after becoming uncooperative and rowdy when cabin crew spoke to her in English, according to reports from AsiaOne and other verified sources.

The incident occurred on AirAsia flight D7809, which was scheduled to depart from Chongqing, China to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at 2am on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The flight was delayed for more than an hour due to the passenger’s behavior before take-off.

Videos shared on social media showed the woman complaining to a female AirAsia ground crew member that a cabin crew member had spoken to her in English. She stated, “Shouldn’t a cabin crew on board an international flight be able to speak in Mandarin? If he can’t even speak basic Mandarin, he doesn’t deserve to be in the service industry.”

The woman became increasingly agitated, raising her voice as she explained her unhappiness. She declared, “Let me be very clear, I am from China,” when asked to calm down.

As airport police officers came onboard, the woman initially said she was prepared to take another flight but later changed her tone, asking, “Can anyone tell me what I’ve done wrong? Who will compensate me for the time and money lost? Who will resolve my concerns? If you don’t compensate me, then let this flight not take off.”

The passenger was ultimately removed from the flight for safety reasons, as confirmed by AirAsia general manager Benyamin Ismail. Social media users largely criticized her behavior, with one comment receiving over 1,000 likes stating, “It’s an international flight. Of course they’d speak to passengers in English. If you were a cabin crew as you’ve claimed, surely you know that the use of electronic devices is forbidden during take off and landing? You should have been fired.”

The flight, identified as D7809, experienced tensions inside the cabin prior to departure, leading to intervention by airline staff and local authorities. Footage shared by passengers on social media later showed a confrontation unfolding inside the aircraft cabin, which was widely circulated online.