Flight delayed after passenger bites crew member during heated dispute over body odour

A bizarre onboard altercation over body odour and perfume ended with a flight attendant being bitten and a two-hour delay on a Shenzhen Airlines flight bound for Shanghai. The shocking incident took place on April 1, just before takeoff, and has since gone viral on Chinese social media.

According to a report by South China Morning Post, tensions flared between two female passengers seated near each other—one complaining about body odour and the other objecting to perfume. What started as a verbal dispute quickly escalated into physical aggression.

As the situation worsened, four crew members—two men and two women—rushed to defuse the conflict. During the struggle, one female flight attendant was bitten by a passenger. In a widely shared video, she can be heard shouting, “Open your mouth. You have bitten me!”

The airline confirmed that the crew member suffered minor injuries to her arm and was immediately taken to a hospital. Medical staff later reported that her condition was not serious, but precautionary treatment was provided.

The two passengers responsible for the fight were escorted off the plane by police. While authorities have not confirmed what action will be taken against them, the incident caused a major disruption. All passengers were deboarded and later reboarded, resulting in a two-hour delay for the flight.

In an official statement, Shenzhen Airlines emphasised the importance of in-flight discipline and passenger responsibility. “Shenzhen Airlines does its best to safeguard the legal rights of both passengers and its employees. We call on all passengers to obey the rules and travel in a civilised manner,” the airline said.

Online, the incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many users demanding a flying ban for the passengers involved. Others expressed concern for airline staff, suggesting flight attendants be better protected from such unpredictable outbursts.