Viral fight in plane: What happened onboard Bangkok-Kolkata flight? Why did passengers come to blows?

A widely-circulated video on social media showed passengers onboard a Bangkok-Kolkata flight engaging in a physical altercation. Some passengers were shown repeatedly slapping one co-passenger in the video. Two passengers were initially in a fiery argument after which one is heard saying “haath neeche kar' (put down your hands)”. Slaps followed soon as other passengers joined in. 

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) took cognizance of the video on Thursday and initiated an inquiry. The incident reportedly took place on December 26. 

What happened on Thai Smile Airways Bangkok-Kolkata flight?

As per latest reports, the reason behind the brawl was one of the passengers refusing to follow safety instructions given by the flight attendant. Ahead of takeoff, the cabin crew had asked passengers to adjust their seatbacks in upright position. This is a standard safety procedure for flights during takeoff and landing. Evacuation in case of emergency can become difficult if seats are in a reclined position.

One of the passengers on the Thai Smile Airways flight reportedly refused to bring back his seat in an upright position, claiming he was suffering from backache. The passenger kept adamant 
despite repeated requests from the crew. 

When the passenger did not comply with the directives of the cabin crew, another passenger seated a few rows behind stepped in. Soon an argument ensued which led to a physical fight. The viral video showed one passenger repeatedly slapping another as chaos and fear took over the flight. Other passengers and cabin crew later pacified those involved but the viral video has caused a lot of uproar. 

The airline, Thai Smile Airways, apologised for the incident. “THAI Smile Airways feels sorry for this. We reaffirm that the incident has been taken care of as we followed the flight safety procedures in accordance with international standards. Our flight crews have already provided support to the persons affected by an incident,” it said in a tweet.

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(With inputs from agencies)