Being responsible

With the intervention of China's Civil Aviation Administration, China Eastern Airlines (CEA) has finally admitted that the abnormal return of 21 flights early last week was not due to poor weather as it originally claimed.

The company's pledge to hold accountable its irresponsible pilots and branch leaders and compensate all passengers affected is a correct initial step.

However, as a deterrent to others in the industry, the aviation authorities should come up with harsher actions to discipline the company. After all, what was at stake was not only the convenience of more than 1,000 passengers who took those disrupted flights, but more importantly, the confidence of the public in the aviation industry.