On April 25, Shenzhen Airlines flight ZH9923 was delayed for more than 7 hours before taking off from Shenzhen to Qingdao, causing dissatisfaction among passengers.
According to Benliu News, Shenzhen Airlines flight ZH9923 was originally scheduled to depart from Shenzhen to Qingdao at 7:05 pm on April 24. However, it did not take off until 3:11 am the next day, leaving passengers waiting in the closed cabin for nearly 8 hours.
In the early hours of April 25, a female passenger posted a video expressing that everyone had been waiting in the closed cabin, with many passengers feeling unwell. Moreover, there was no substantial solution provided, and the cabin crew did not proactively offer services like water.
In response, Shenzhen Airlines customer service explained that the unstable weather conditions led to the flight only meeting takeoff criteria at 3:11 am the next day.
Reported by Shenzhen News Network, Shenzhen Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow alert for heavy rain and thunderstorm strong winds in the city around 5:40 pm on April 24. It was expected that around 6:40 pm, the city would be affected by thunderstorm clouds moving from west to east, with rainfall intensity of about 50 millimeters per hour and accompanied by strong winds of around 8 on the Beaufort scale.
However, another passenger in a video mentioned that they were only informed about the delayed departure after the boarding gate was closed. If the weather conditions were not suitable for takeoff, why were passengers allowed to board the aircraft in the first place?
Shenzhen Airlines customer service responded that when flights are delayed, whether passengers can disembark and wait should be arranged according to the overall command of the airport. They stated that they will report to the company and conduct an investigation.
Shenzhen Airlines’ online response has sparked skepticism. Some netizens expressed that if passengers have already boarded the plane and then have to disembark, the airline should arrange compensation and accommodations.
“While it was indeed a sudden heavy rainstorm, shouldn’t airports have surveys for aircraft takeoff in such weather conditions? Even a slight possibility of not being able to take off due to weather factors should be communicated to passengers in case of delays. After all, with a full plane of people, passengers should not be kept in the cabin for such a long time.”
“8 hours! Although the delay was due to weather conditions, keeping passengers in the cabin for 8 hours is malicious, showing a lack of consideration for the passengers’ feelings.”