Sitting on a tarmac for hours? Upset with your airline because your plane is late?

Well, just be glad you’re not in China. Or worse, running an airline that operates in China.

Today the Financial Express reported that China will punish airlines whose passengers refuse to disembark or misbehave in protest over problems like delayed flights, as the Olympics host tries to” lift standards” before the Games.

Deputy head of the China  civil aviation regulator, Yang Guoqing, said enough was enough after numerous warnings to airlines to treat their passengers better appeared to have failed.

“We will severely punish airlines which experience aircraft occupations and other incidents as a result of service reasons which originate with the airline,” Yang told a news conference.

“These measures include cancelling slots at corresponding busy airports,” he added. Shhhhhhhsh. Better not let Kate Hanni hear about this idea.

State media reported this week that scores of Chinese passengers smashed computers and desks and clashed with police after a night stranded at an airport without accommodation.

More than 170 passengers were due to leave Kunming, capital of southwestern Yunnan province, on three flights operated by China Southern Airlines late Monday, but the flights were cancelled due to bad weather, the Xinhua news agency said.

The report blamed the melee on China Southern staff’s ‘inappropriate working attitude.’ Yang said customers “must also be kept better informed about delays, especially those caused by bad weather, a big issue in China.”

Hmmm. I wonder. Is bad weather a big issue in China, or keeping passengers better informed about the bad weather?