According to a person familiar with the matter, at the time of the incident, the 15 foreigners arrived at the airport late for various reasons and missed the boarding time. However, the crew received instructions from their superiors that they must wait until all passengers have boarded the plane before allowing the 15 foreigners to board. This practice caused dissatisfaction among the cabin crew, who saw it as unfair treatment of other passengers.
In response to the incident, China Eastern Airlines responded that the company did not have a relevant policy requiring the crew to wait for 15 foreigners to board the plane. At the same time, China Eastern Airlines stated that it will not be liable for compensation for losses caused by flight delays.
The incident quickly fermented on the Internet and aroused heated discussions among netizens. Some netizens believe that China Eastern Airlines' practice is suspected of discriminating against domestic and foreign passengers and should be dealt with seriously. Another part of netizens believes that airlines should give priority to protecting the rights and interests of other passengers and ensuring that flights take off on time.