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Man, 71, hauled off flight at Hong Kong airport for ‘verbally abusing’ Singapore Airlines crew

Singapore Airlines confirms passenger on board flight SQ897 was handed over to authorities at Hong Kong International Airport on Tuesday

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Singapore Airlines says the safety of customers and staff is always its top priority. Photo: Reuters

Singapore Airlines has confirmed it removed an elderly passenger from a flight at Hong Kong airport for “repeatedly verbally abusing” crew members before take-off and turned him over to authorities.

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A spokesman for the carrier told the Post on Saturday that a passenger on board Singapore-bound flight SQ897 on Tuesday was handed over to authorities at Hong Kong International Airport.

“After repeatedly verbally abusing the cabin crew on board, our pilots assessed the situation and decided to offload the passenger to ensure the safety of the other passengers and the operating crew,” the Singapore Airlines (SIA) spokesman said.

“The safety of our customers and staff is always our top priority. SIA believes that all our employees have a right to a safe and respectful workplace environment, and does not stand for abusive behaviour towards our staff.”

The airline apologised to all customers on board the flight for the inconvenience caused by the incident.

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A video posted by Singaporean media on Friday showed the male passenger confronting the chief stewardess, who responded calmly.

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