A heated confrontation at an airport involving passengers on a budget airline has gone viral — and Singapore netizens are not holding back. A flood of Facebook comments slammed a group of rowdy passengers, allegedly from China, for yelling at airline staff after a flight delay, prompting a wave of criticism that’s as savage as it is unapologetic.
The viral clip, believed to have originated from a delayed AirAsia flight, shows irate passengers shouting at ground staff. While the exact cause of the delay remains unclear, online chatter suggests it could have been due to technical or weather issues — not uncommon in the aviation industry.
But while tempers flared in the terminal, Singaporeans online were having none of it.
Netizens Condemn Behaviour: “You Take Budget, Don’t Expect First-Class Service”
Comments poured in, with many users mocking the entitled behaviour of the passengers. Ivan Low remarked, “Cheapo. Fly budget yet think they flying SIA.” Another added sarcastically, “Shout at the plane lah, what the staff do wrong?”
The general sentiment: if you’re flying budget, manage your expectations.
The issue of respect towards front-line workers also took centre stage. Facebook user Kenny Lai wrote, “People think dealing with customers on the frontline is easy?” Many echoed that delays are part and parcel of flying and berating staff won’t change a thing.
Underlying Xenophobia Resurfaces in Comments
Unfortunately, the situation also opened the floodgates for a wave of xenophobic and racially charged remarks. Several users, without restraint, blamed “PRC behaviour” for the outburst, referring derogatorily to passengers as “barbarians,” “uncivilised,” and “clan of yelling cavemen.”
Such remarks, while popular with some netizens, also highlight a troubling undercurrent in public discourse — a mix of classism and nationalism, often triggered by incidents involving foreign travellers.
Budget Airlines Not Obligated to Compensate Delays
A few comments took a more balanced tone, pointing out that budget airlines like AirAsia often do not provide hotel stays or compensation for delays, especially if caused by weather or mechanical checks. Lesley Lee wrote, “They’re using their ‘rights’ to try and be compensated. Not all airlines work like that.”
Others reminded that flight safety comes first. Nigel Ng commented, “Shouting doesn’t make bad weather go away or fix the plane faster.”
Lesson: Patience, Not Pressure, Gets You to Your Destination
In the end, the consensus from the Singaporean crowd was clear: if you’re flying cheap, don’t expect premium treatment. And more importantly, respect the crew — they’re doing their jobs, not causing delays for fun.
As one netizen cheekily summed it up: “Want cheap, want fresh, want big breast, then don’t kpkb (complain). You think your money very big?”
Whether the airline will take further action is unclear, but the incident has definitely ignited a fiery discussion about passenger conduct, entitlement, and how not to behave at the airport.