A passenger has been banned from flying with China Eastern Airlines after allegedly verbally abusing and threatening a flight attendant and forcing her to kneel and apologize during a flight in China.

The incident happened on September 28 aboard a China Eastern flight from Hefei to Dalian. According to Chinese media reports, the flight attendant accidentally bumped the passenger’s elbow with a food cart while he was sleeping.

Although the passenger was not injured, the flight attendant immediately apologized, while the purser also offered him an ice pack.

The passenger allegedly refused to accept the apology, berated the flight attendant, threatened to kick her and demanded that she accompany him to a hospital after landing.

The flight attendant, described as relatively inexperienced, became intimidated by his behavior and reportedly knelt two or three times while apologizing.

Security officers eventually intervened and brought the situation under control.

After landing, medical personnel boarded the aircraft to examine the passenger. They reportedly found no visible wounds or swelling and determined that no further treatment was required.

China Eastern reported the case to police on October 3 and said it would no longer provide transportation services to the passenger.

The incident has sparked discussion in China about the treatment of airline employees and the pressure flight attendants can face from passenger complaints.

Chinese civil aviation regulations prohibit passengers from verbally abusing or assaulting crew members or causing disturbances aboard aircraft.

The case has also drawn attention to performance evaluation systems in which flight attendants can receive positive or negative points based on passenger feedback. A veteran flight attendant quoted by Beijing Daily said complaints can affect an employee’s annual performance assessment.

China Eastern, headquartered in Shanghai, is one of China’s three major state-owned airlines.