3 in flight crew arrested for restaurant brawl

Xiamen Air confirmed on Monday that three of its crew members were investigated by Singapore police after a brawl broke out during a meal.

The airline said that after Flight MF855 from Fuzhou to Singapore landed on Saturday evening, the crew went to a hotel for a meal.

During the meal, three male crew members quarreled and were taken away by local police.

According to a report in Legal Evening News, the three men were the co-pilot, purser and safety officer. A verbal dispute arose between them and then progressed to a physical blows, including one of the men being beaten on the head with a bottle, the report said.

Zhang Qihuai, a Beijing-based lawyer specializing in civil aviation, said that the airline's station in Singapore was informed by the police on Sunday that the three men had been arrested.

According to the news report, the crew members have now been released on bail, but were told not to leave Singapore until their court trial in early January.

Xiamen Air said it would improve its management of international flight crews, and would deal seriously with all rule violations.