Passenger Called "Chinese Pig" on Flight; China's "Di Ba" Forums Mobilize Against Virgin Atlantic for Justice

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

A mainland Chinese female tourist complained to the media that while flying from London to Shanghai on a British Virgin Atlantic flight, a man yelled at her, calling her a "Chinese pig." When she reported the incident to the flight attendant, she was told not to argue with others or she would be kicked off the plane.Netizens from the mainland’s "Di Ba" forum (also known as Li Yi Bar) called for an online "attack" on Virgin Atlantic’s Facebook page at 7 p.m. on the 18th to seek justice for their fellow citizen..(Image above / Screenshot from webpage)

The complaining woman stated that while aboard Virgin Atlantic flight VS250 from London to Shanghai, as she was searching for her headphones in her seat,a white man, approximately 55 years old and overweight, approached her and then pointed at her while gritting his teeth, calling her a "Chinese pig," along with foul language.She was stunned for a moment, unable to believe what she had heard, then grew angry and asked the man, "What did you just say?" The man repeated the insult and clenched his fists as if preparing to hit her.

The woman complained that throughout the incident, no flight attendants intervened. Later,a male flight attendant named Nathan Smith spoke quietly with the man and then scolded her, telling her to stop arguing with others, respect other passengers, or she would be removed from the flight..

The woman said thewhite man who insulted her claimed to have a mental illness.She had previously reported him to immigration authorities at Pudong Airport upon arrival, but they responded, "As long as foreigners have a passport and visa, we can’t do anything about it."

"Pretty scary!" a fellow passenger on the same flight, Miss Wu, told Beijing’s Global Times. She witnessed the man using foul language and also heard the flight attendant telling the woman to calm down or she might be kicked off. Regarding the man’s mental state, Wu commented, "He just looked like a really aggressive regular guy, not someone with a mental illness—it felt like an excuse."

A Virgin Atlantic PR representative in China stated on the 17th that the company takes the matter very seriously and that headquarters has launched an investigation, with results to be announced immediately. Virgin Atlantic’s Facebook page and that of its founder Richard Branson have been flooded with comments from mainland Chinese netizens. Meanwhile, "Di Ba," which has previously mobilized online campaigns against Taiwanese media and political figures’ social media pages, launched the "3.18 Di Ba Campaign: Meme Battle Season 2" event, calling on netizens to seek justice for their compatriot and demand an apology from Virgin Atlantic.