AirAsia ground staff at Hong Kong Airport fired for allegedly discriminating against a Mandarin-speaking passenger on flight AK137 (March 5). AirAsia apologized.
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Source: OT-Team(G), 南方都市报
An incident involving alleged discriminatory behavior by a ground staff member toward a mainland Chinese passenger at Hong Kong International Airport has drawn public attention after a video of the encounter circulated on social media.
In the video, the passenger claimed he was treated rudely and discriminated against by a ground staff member while preparing to board AirAsia flight AK137 from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur. According to the passenger's account, the staff member displayed a hostile attitude toward Mandarin-speaking travelers from the Chinese mainland. The video quickly sparked widespread discussion online.
On the afternoon of March 10, an AirAsia representative responded to media inquiries, confirming that the airline had reviewed a service complaint related to the March 5 flight. The airline stated that it takes such matters seriously and launched an investigation immediately after becoming aware of the issue.
According to AirAsia, the situation arose after the passenger initially reported feeling unwell and requested to terminate his journey and retrieve his baggage, while his traveling companion chose to continue the trip. The passenger later reported that his condition had improved and decided to resume the journey.
Due to concerns about the passenger's earlier health condition and operational arrangements at the airport, ground personnel decided to allow him to board the aircraft last. During the communication process, however, one ground staff member used inappropriate language, which contributed to the unpleasant interaction.
AirAsia confirmed that the individual involved was not a direct employee of the airline but worked for a ground handling service provider contracted by the airline at Hong Kong International Airport. Following an internal investigation, the ground handling company dismissed the employee.
Tang Ting, AirAsia's General Manager for China, said the airline expects anyone representing the brand in front of passengers to adhere to its service standards and treat all travelers with respect.
"Every staff member who represents AirAsia carries passengers' expectations and trust," Tang said. "We sincerely apologize for the negative travel experience caused by this incident."
He added that the airline will strengthen coordination with ground handling partners to ensure service procedures are implemented more consistently and professionally across different airports, with the aim of preventing similar incidents in the future.
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