An incident occurred aboard an Asiana Airlines international flight at Incheon International Airport, in which a foreign passenger physically assaulted a flight attendant.
The airline has faced criticism for continuing with the flight without reporting the incident to the police, raising questions about the adequacy of their response.
The incident occurred on September 5 aboard the Asiana Airlines Incheon-to-Los Angeles flight, which was scheduled to depart at 8:40 p.m. As the aircraft was preparing for takeoff, a male foreign passenger stood up and attempted to go to the restroom. When a female flight attendant in charge of the area intervened, the passenger responded by punching her in the face. The blow was so severe that the attendant’s cheek became visibly red, and her earring was knocked off.
A male flight attendant restrained the disruptive passenger, returning him to his seat. The situation was immediately reported to the cabin manager. The manager asked the assaulted flight attendant, “Are you okay? Can you continue? Do you want to return to the gate?”
Under pressure, the junior flight attendant, who was on her first long-haul flight since returning from leave, replied that she was fine. Colleagues later criticized this decision on an internal online bulletin board, arguing that it was the manager’s responsibility to decide whether to return to the gate, not the victim’s.
Despite the assault, the flight took off without either reporting the incident to the police or disembarking the passenger from the aircraft. The situation worsened during the 11-hour flight as the cabin manager failed to reassign the flight attendant’s service area. The assailant continued to harass her by glaring at her and obstructing her service. He even attempted to get up and go to the restroom again just before landing, despite movement restrictions, but was once again stopped by a male crew member.
What shocked both passengers and crew members was that, upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport, (LAX) [abbreviation unnecessary] Asiana Airlines did not report the incident to local authorities or take any action against the assailant.
Under Korea’s Aviation Security Act, passengers who disrupt flight operations or interfere with crew members’ duties through threats or violence can be arrested and handed over to police or removed from the aircraft.
The flight carried over 430 passengers, with 280 on the lower deck and 150 on the upper deck. The incident took place on the lower deck, where over 280 passengers and crew members witnessed the assault. Witnesses reported the incident both online and to media outlets.
Passengers and crew members, who had assumed that arresting and handing over the unruly passenger to the authorities was standard procedure, expressed anger over Asiana Airlines’ inaction.
According to a report submitted to JTBC, a leading broadcasting system in South Korea, the cabin manager later presented the assaulted flight attendant with a written report describing the incident as an “accidental arm swing,” asking for her agreement. However, the flight attendant disputed the account, stating that the passenger had deliberately punched her. Despite her protest, the manager refused to amend the report, stating that it would “make things worse.”
In response to the backlash, Asiana Airlines replied to JTBC that both the victimized flight attendant and the cabin manager had been sent back to Korea immediately after landing and were removed from further duties. The airline also stated that it is monitoring the flight attendant’s health and investigating the incident thoroughly.
Asiana Airlines confirmed, “We are conducting a detailed investigation into the matter and will take appropriate action based on the findings.”
Meanwhile, the Seoul Regional Office of Aviation under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport is reviewing the case to determine whether to request a formal investigation into the passenger and whether to impose administrative penalties on Asiana Airlines.
By Mooyoung Lee lee.mooyoung@koreadaily.com
