Unruly passenger delays Batik Air flight over seatbelt refusal

During the Batik Air flight from Vietnam to Malaysia, an unusual incident occurred. A passenger traveling with a child refused to fasten her seatbelt, leading to a one-hour delay. The flight crew tried to calm the traveler, but she began to shout and caused a scene.

During the standard check conducted by flight attendants just before departure, the crew noticed that the passenger had not fastened her seatbelt. Despite requests, the woman, a Vietnamese citizen, refused to fasten it. In the recording, she can be seen arguing with a crew member who explains that the seatbelt is for the safety of her and her child. "I don't care, I don't have to listen to you," the passenger shouted at the flight attendant.

The argument led to the intervention of the authorities, who had to board and remove the unruly woman. When the passenger left the plane, other travelers expressed their satisfaction with how the situation was resolved.

Commenters praised the crew for their composure in such a nerve-wracking situation. "Respect is due to the flight attendants," noted one comment. Another added, "The staff was definitely much calmer than I would have been," and "People need to be taught to follow rules and have good manners," read other comments on TikTok.

Experts emphasize that unfastened seatbelts can be dangerous during turbulence. An example is an incident with Singapore Airlines where passengers without seatbelts were seriously injured. Dzafran Azmir, a witness to that incident, recalls how people without fastened seatbelts were thrown upwards during the plane's violent shakes.