Official suspended after aircraft dispute

A Party official of the Yuexiu district government in Guangzhou was suspended from his post on Sunday following suspicions that he had a physical altercation with a flight attendant, the People's Daily reported.

Authorities of the Yuexiu district said that Fang Daguo, 41, the political commissar for the Yuexiu District Armed Forces Department, is being investigated.

Fang allegedly grabbed the flight attendant's arm on Wednesday night after he and his wife boarded a China Southern Airlines flight from Hefei, Anhui province, to Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

Fang allegedly confronted flight attendant Zhou Yumeng because she did not help the couple place their luggage in the overhead luggage compartment, according to one passenger's account cited by Xinhua News Agency.

Fang was also reported to have verbally threatened Zhou, saying that he has good relations with Zhou's boss.

Zhou was bruised and cried after Fang grabbed her arm, the reports said.

The police was called after the plane landed at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and questioned Fang and Zhou at a police station.

Later, Fang said he had settled the case privately after he had apologized to Zhou.

China Southern Airlines said that Zhou still works for the company.

Contact the writer at zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn.