IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

Airline punished for cockpit fight

Two pilots of a Chinese budget airline reportedly came to blows during a flight in June, resulting in punishment including a 10 percent reduction in the airline's flight hours starting on Tuesday. China United Airlines was also told by the civil aviation authority that it could not launch any new air routes or charter flights, after a string of safety violations since June. China United Airlines played down the incident on Monday, saying the pilots had misunderstood each other and it was just "some physical contact", but did not escalate into a fight. Those involved have been grounded for six months, the airline added.