Source: CCTV.com
04-18-2008 11:21
The country's third biggest airline has been punished by civil aviation authority for the disruption of services by pilot action. China Eastern Airlines has lost the right to fly some regional routes and fined over 200,000 US dollars.
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The country's third biggest airline has been punished by |
Two and a half weeks ago China Eastern passenger services in Yunnan were thrown into turmoil when pilots on 21 flights turned back. But investigators say the pilots deliberately sabotaged on consumers' rights.
China Eastern Airlines is being fined a one and a half million yuan and stripped of the right to fly several routes in Yunnan. The services will be transferred to other carriers.
Heads of the airline's Yunnan branch have already been suspended from their posts for further internal investigation.
The original reason given by China Eastern was bad weather, but the authority's statement on Thursday shows that weather at nearly all destinations in the province was suitable for landing.
Some state-run media described the incident as an "unofficial strike" and a protest by the pilots seeking better management and treatment.
Last week, China Eastern began offering compensation to passengers, ranging from 100 to 400 yuan depending on how long they were delayed.
On the same day that China's civil aviation handed down its sentence, China Eastern Airlines made its second apology for flight disruptions. The event affected more than 1,000 passengers in Yunnan Province earlier this month.
The company said the incident has hurt its image, and it promised to compensate affecetd passengers up to 400 yuan per person.
When the case first broke out, China Eastern insisted the turn arounds were weather-related. The company finally admitted some pilots on the 21 flights deliberately turned their aircraft around.
Editor:Xiong Qu
