Rewards overflowing for hijack heroes
By Yang Jian |
July 10, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
The crew who foiled a hijack bid on a flight in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were further rewarded yesterday.
Hainan Airlines gave the nine Tianjin Airlines staffers on Flight GS7554 a total of 30 million yuan (US$4.71 million) in cash, houses and cars.
The carrier, which owns Tianjin Airlines, rewarded two onboard security guards and the chief attendant each with a million yuan in cash, an apartment worth 3 million yuan and an Audi car at a ceremony held in Haikou, Hainan Province, yesterday.
"Their brave actions offered valuable experience for anti-terrorism measures on planes and showcased the corporate culture of the airlines," said Chen Feng, board chairman of Hainan Airlines. The three were seriously injured in fighting the six men who tried to hijack and blow up the plane on route from Hotan to the regional capital of Urumqi on June 29.
The pilot and five other crew members each received 500,000 yuan, an apartment worth 2 million yuan and an Audi car.
The company also gave 30 million yuan to be shared by all Tianjin Airlines staff, believed to number just over 2,000.
Later, the company announced online that passengers who "leapt into action to fight with the hijackers" could take Hainan Airlines flights free for life as "honorary passengers." It said it would be in touch with the passengers over the details.
Also yesterday, the government of Hainan Province, where the airline company is based, awarded the security guards and the chief attendant 100,000 yuan each and the other crew members a total of 500,000 yuan.
"The government wants the substantial rewards to carry forward the healthy social trend," said Jiang Dingzhi, governor of the province.
Last week, the Civil Aviation Administration of China awarded the crew members a total of 1 million yuan and honored them with "Anti-hijacking Hero" titles. It also rewarded 23 passengers who helped overpower the hijackers.
The Xinjiang government has given the nine crew members 500,000 yuan each and eight of the passengers 100,000 yuan each.
There were more than 90 passengers onboard the flight.
The size of the rewards stirred an online debate with some people commenting that they were too much for crew members who were just doing their jobs, but most praised their actions, saying they deserved what they were getting.
"They risked their lives to save about 100 lives and let so many families be able to unite again and that is priceless," Feng Dali, a civil aviation pilot, said.
Zhou Jisheng, a civil aviation researcher and former deputy designer of China's first domestically developed jet, the ARJ-21, said the crew and passengers had protected the country's civil aviation industry.
"If terrorists manage to hijack or blow up the planes, the civil aviation industry will encounter uncountable economic losses, far more than the rewards," Zhou said.
The hijack attempt began about 6 minutes after take-off.
Crew members and several passengers, some of them police officers, quickly tackled the hijackers. Six suspects are currently in police custody.
Hainan Airlines gave the nine Tianjin Airlines staffers on Flight GS7554 a total of 30 million yuan (US$4.71 million) in cash, houses and cars.
The carrier, which owns Tianjin Airlines, rewarded two onboard security guards and the chief attendant each with a million yuan in cash, an apartment worth 3 million yuan and an Audi car at a ceremony held in Haikou, Hainan Province, yesterday.
"Their brave actions offered valuable experience for anti-terrorism measures on planes and showcased the corporate culture of the airlines," said Chen Feng, board chairman of Hainan Airlines. The three were seriously injured in fighting the six men who tried to hijack and blow up the plane on route from Hotan to the regional capital of Urumqi on June 29.
The pilot and five other crew members each received 500,000 yuan, an apartment worth 2 million yuan and an Audi car.
The company also gave 30 million yuan to be shared by all Tianjin Airlines staff, believed to number just over 2,000.
Later, the company announced online that passengers who "leapt into action to fight with the hijackers" could take Hainan Airlines flights free for life as "honorary passengers." It said it would be in touch with the passengers over the details.
Also yesterday, the government of Hainan Province, where the airline company is based, awarded the security guards and the chief attendant 100,000 yuan each and the other crew members a total of 500,000 yuan.
"The government wants the substantial rewards to carry forward the healthy social trend," said Jiang Dingzhi, governor of the province.
Last week, the Civil Aviation Administration of China awarded the crew members a total of 1 million yuan and honored them with "Anti-hijacking Hero" titles. It also rewarded 23 passengers who helped overpower the hijackers.
The Xinjiang government has given the nine crew members 500,000 yuan each and eight of the passengers 100,000 yuan each.
There were more than 90 passengers onboard the flight.
The size of the rewards stirred an online debate with some people commenting that they were too much for crew members who were just doing their jobs, but most praised their actions, saying they deserved what they were getting.
"They risked their lives to save about 100 lives and let so many families be able to unite again and that is priceless," Feng Dali, a civil aviation pilot, said.
Zhou Jisheng, a civil aviation researcher and former deputy designer of China's first domestically developed jet, the ARJ-21, said the crew and passengers had protected the country's civil aviation industry.
"If terrorists manage to hijack or blow up the planes, the civil aviation industry will encounter uncountable economic losses, far more than the rewards," Zhou said.
The hijack attempt began about 6 minutes after take-off.
Crew members and several passengers, some of them police officers, quickly tackled the hijackers. Six suspects are currently in police custody.
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