Enter the Cabin: Chinese airline crews now required to master kung fu

The question I’m most commonly asked is, ‘What’s going on with Chinese airline flight crews?’ Here’s today’s answer: If you work for Hong Kong Airlines, you are now required to master the wing chun form of kung fu. Yes, that’s the discipline that was practiced by the late Bruce Lee.

For one thing, the company figures that a well-trained flight crew will be better equipped to deal with unruly or disruptive passengers, which they encounter up to three times a week, according to a spokesperson. Lee’s form of combat is notable for its compact and quick-blow style, which the airline believes is the most practical for the confines of a commercial jet. Also, it’s useful if fat people need to be hauled around.

Eva Chan, an airline spokeswoman told the paper that it came in handy on a recent Beijing to Hong Kong flight.

“One of the passengers was sick but he was probably drunk and felt unwell — the crew member attended to him and she realized her fitness was helping her especially because the guy was quite heavy,” Chan told the paper. “Normally, a female cabin crew can’t handle a fat guy, especially if he’s drunk, but because of the training, she can handle it quite easily.”

Off the Bench bonus gift: please note the name in the following paragraph. You’re welcome.

A young new crew member named Lumpy Tang told the paper that wing chun was good because “you cannot predict what will happen on the plane. I feel safer because I can defend myself and I’m really happy to be one of the first cabin crew to learn wing chun in the world.”

At any rate, here’s one airline in which trays and seatbacks are always returned to their upright and locked positions without delay.

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Hong Kong Airlines’ Flight Attendants Take Mandatory Kung Fu Training [AOL Travel]
Hong Kong Airlines’ flight attendants get kung fu training [MSNBC]