Airport Responds ：Foreigner Reported with Lighter—Discrimination?

Source: OT-Team(G), 楚天都市报

A foreign passenger was reported by a netizen for bringing a lighter into a restricted area at Wuxi Airport, drawing public attention and prompting an official response.

A foreign passenger was found carrying a lighter into the restricted area of Wuxi Shuofang International Airport and was stopped by fellow travelers before boarding. On July 22, the airport issued an official statement confirming that a security oversight did occur, but emphasized that there was no discriminatory treatment involved. The personnel responsible have been held accountable.

Incident Review:

On July 19, a netizen posted a video documenting his complaint at Wuxi Shuofang Airport regarding a foreign passenger carrying a lighter to the boarding gate. The video, accompanied by captions criticizing "double standards" and "blind admiration for foreigners," drew widespread attention online. The situation further escalated due to claims that airline staff attempted to stop filming and were unable to communicate effectively in English.

Airport Response:

On July 22, Sunan Shuofang International Airport Co., Ltd. released an official statement:

"In response to the recent concerns circulating online regarding a foreign passenger carrying a lighter into the restricted area of Wuxi Shuofang Airport, a thorough investigation has been conducted. The findings are as follows:

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on July 18, a passenger in the airport's restricted area discovered that a foreign traveler — scheduled to board a Wuxi-to-Beijing flight — was carrying a lighter. Airport personnel promptly confiscated the lighter and provided on-site education to the individual. The flight later departed as scheduled without incident.

A review of security footage confirmed that during the screening process, one lighter was indeed confiscated from the foreign passenger. However, a second lighter was missed, and this oversight has been verified. Nonetheless, there is no evidence to suggest any differentiated treatment between foreign and domestic passengers in the enforcement of security protocols. Disciplinary measures have been taken against the staff involved.

Security is paramount and relies on collective responsibility. We thank the public for their supervision and concern. Moving forward, the airport will draw lessons from this incident, strictly adhere to safety protocols, and continue to improve the quality of its security services for all passengers."