An Air China flight was canceled last Thursday at Quzhou Airport after a first-time flyer opened an emergency exit, mistaking it for the bathroom. The evacuation slide deployed, leading to the cancellation and questioning of the involved passenger.
Air China Flight Faces Unexpected Delay
South China Morning Post reported that an Air China flight erupted into chaos last week when a new flyer accidentally triggered the emergency slide by opening the exit door, thinking it was the bathroom.
The mistake led to the evacuation of the whole aircraft and caused the flight to be scrapped. All this happened quietly; the woman was searching for a restroom, and no one on board noticed.
The incident left passengers and crew in shock as the slide deployed unexpectedly while the aircraft was still on the tarmac at Quzhou Airport. The plane had to be cleared, causing significant delays and disruptions to the scheduled flight to Chengdu.
In the aftermath, the first-time flyer, a woman, faced questioning by the authorities.
She was devastated when she found out about the possible financial consequences- $28,000 for accidentally using the emergency equipment. It has also opened up online topics of discussion on whether these doors are just too easily openable, risking a similar accident in the times to come.
The incident on Air China underlined issues with the current design of aircraft, showing clear safety risks. It emphasized the need for broader actions to properly secure emergency exits while ensuring they remain easily accessible in case of an actual emergency.
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Airline Expands Global Reach
Air China is preparing itself for the 2024 summer travel season with further development of the route network amid surging demand for domestic and international travel.
Speaking at a news conference in Beijing, the airline announced that it will increase its international flights almost to the level before the pandemic, targeting recovery to over 90 percent compared with 2019.
The development also involves the launching or resuming thirteen routes connecting major cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai with Dhaka, Milan, Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Singapore.
On the domestic front, Air China said it would increase the number of flights to famous destinations in China, including Xinjiang, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shandong, and Hainan, and summer resort areas such as Yunnan, Guizhou, and Fujian.
The group would offer an average of 1,444 domestic flights daily during the summer, up 39.2 percent from 2019.
Further boosting its global presence, Air China is working to consolidate further routes supporting the Belt and Road Initiative, now accounting for nearly 60 percent of the airline's international offers.
This aims at improving connectivity and trade links between Asia and other parts of the world.
Apart from this, Air China has also streamlined the whole travel process. The company has developed various new services for families and students, such as family card products and enriched services for unaccompanied minors and older people.
Besides, lounges and inflight meals have also been renovated to provide all passengers an untroubled and comfortable journey.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
