PUBLISHED ONOctober 31, 2026 1:00 AMBYLaili AbdeenAfter being told she could not sit next to her husband, a woman onboard an AirAsia flight caused a commotion which subsequently resulted in a flight delay.
The plane was scheduled to depart from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct 25 before security was called in and all passengers were told to disembark, according to Sin Chew Daily.
The woman had reportedly insisted on sitting in an empty seat beside her husband despite not previously requesting and paying extra for seat selection, China Press reported.
When instructed by the cabin crew to return to her seat or pay the additional fees, the woman, alongside a group of five other passengers with her, escalated the situation and caused a ruckus.
A video posted to Threads on Thursday (Oct 29) shows the woman raising her voice and arguing in Chinese that she only sat next to her husband as there was an empty seat.
She also reportedly questioned if her actions were violating the rules and the group challenged why they had to pay additional fees to sit together.
The video also shows AirAsia personnel onboard attending to the situation before passengers could be seen unloading their hand-carry luggage from the overhead bins and queueing to disembark.
The flight was delayed as a result of the commotion, with many passengers reportedly expressed their frustration.
Passengers onboard AirAsia flights are required to pay a fee if they choose their seat when purchasing their ticket, during online check-in or at the airport counter, according to its website.
"We highly recommend that you reserve your seat when booking or during checking in to guarantee a seat beside your travel companions," advised the airline, adding that those who have purchased a seat will be randomly assigned one.
AsiaOne has reached out to AirAsia for more information.
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