The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has penalized China United Airlines (KN, Beijing Daxing International) for a series of fifty safety violations this year including three incidents in June and July that were deemed to have "seriously violated regulations."
Among the incidents cited was an incident involving a physical altercation between two pilots during a flight in June. While details of the incident are sketchy, it is said the two had a disagreement which escalated into a tense situation but not an all-out fist fight as has been reported by some media outlets.
Other incidents included violent confrontations between staff and passengers, and operating aircraft deemed unfit for service.
In a statement, the CAAC said it had cut the airline's flying hours by 10% effective Tuesday, September 1. In addition, the China Eastern Airlines (MU, Shanghai Hongqiao) subsidiary has also been barred from launching any new routes - scheduled or charter.
