Hong Kong Airlines is training its flight attendants in Kung Fu

Monday, 25 April 2011 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Unruly airline passengers beware! Hong Kong Airlines is requiring its flight attendants to learn kung fu, something the airline hopes will help its crew deal with drunk and unruly passengers.

The airline’s entire staff has been invited to train in wing chun, a form of kung fu used in close-range combat, but it’s actually required for the cabin crew.

The airline deals with about three disruptive passengers a week, according to Hong Kong Airlines spokeswoman Eva Chan.

Wing chun instructor Katherine Cheung says the martial art is ideal for airline crews because it can be used in small, confined spaces like an airplane.

And the benefit of the martial arts training is already on display: Two weeks ago, a flight attendant used her training to resolve an incident on a Beijing-Hong Kong flight. Unfortunately, the incident didn’t end in a passenger getting karate-chopped or receiving a roundhouse kick to the face.

Basically, the unruly passenger was a bigger guy, he got a little drunk during the flight, and the female flight attendant said she was better able to handle the situation due to her increased strength from the kung fu training. Whatever.