A woman was escorted off a Batik Air flight at Changi Airport after a dispute over a large cardboard box delayed the aircraft’s departure.
The incident happened on Sept. 30 aboard Batik Air flight OD804, which was scheduled to fly from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur at 12.30pm. A fellow passenger said the woman was seated near the aisle with a cardboard box that was roughly the size of a piece of cabin luggage.
According to the passenger, the box was too large to fit inside the aircraft’s overhead luggage compartment. Cabin crew then attempted to find another way to store it safely.
The woman reportedly insisted on keeping the box with her and wanted to place it underneath the seat in front of her. A flight attendant allegedly offered to place the box on an empty seat instead, but the woman declined.
Cabin crew then spent about 45 minutes trying to persuade her to hand over the box for safekeeping. She was reportedly assured that it would be returned to her after the aircraft landed in Kuala Lumpur.
The situation escalated when the woman allegedly refused to hand over the box and did not fasten her seatbelt. A flight attendant eventually took the box and walked towards the front of the aircraft, but the woman reportedly refused to leave her seat or cooperate with the crew.
Several uniformed officers were subsequently called onto the plane. Video footage shared on social media showed officers standing along the aircraft aisle near the woman’s seat before she was eventually escorted out of the aircraft.
A fellow passenger identified only as Ke told local media that about five officers arrived to persuade the woman to cooperate. After she continued to refuse, the officers removed her from the flight.
The incident resulted in a delay to the Kuala Lumpur-bound flight. Flight-tracking information indicated that the aircraft eventually departed around 45 minutes later than its scheduled 12.30pm departure time.
A video of the incident was posted on TikTok on Sept. 30 by a passenger who described the flight as being delayed because of an uncooperative traveller. The footage showed a cabin crew member carrying the cardboard box before cutting to scenes of several officers inside the aircraft.
The woman’s identity and the reason she was carrying the large cardboard box were not disclosed.
The incident highlights the importance of complying with cabin crew instructions regarding baggage and safety procedures. Carry-on items must be stored in approved locations so they do not obstruct aisles, exits or passengers during flight.
Neither the airline nor the passenger who recorded the footage had publicly provided further details about what happened after the woman was removed from the aircraft at the time of the report.
