Pilots turned back flights deliberately, airline says

SHANGHAI: China Eastern Airlines admitted yesterday that some pilots at its Yunnan branch last week "deliberately" turned back midway through their flights - ostensibly because of poor weather - in a rare strike action demanding higher pay.

The pilots involved have been suspended from work as an internal investigation as well as a probe by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) continue.

Two senior officials of the Yunnan branch have been sacked, and a deputy general manager of the parent airline has been appointed as the new branch head to check why 21 flights returned to Kunming last Monday and Tuesday, according to a statement released by China Eastern yesterday.