The passengers of a flight that was delayed for six hours have won a partial victory in the first lawsuit of its kind against an airline.

China Eastern Airlines was ordered to repay each passenger 10 percent of their ticket price, but it was not ordered to compensate them for mental distress nor told to apologize for failing to give reasons for the delay.

On Tuesday, Shanghai Pudong New Area District People's Court heard that on July 30, passengers were left waiting for their flight to Hohhot in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region without a word of explanation for the delay.

"The company did not give any clear explanation or make any apology while the passengers waited anxiously to depart, and then ignored requests to help them find transport or hotel accommodation when the plane finally arrived at its destination as late as 11 PM," said Wu Dong, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs.

"Although the company attributed the delay to bad weather, all the passengers could see were good, fine weather and just half an hour's rainfall.

"The passengers filed the suit not for money but to express their indignation at the terrible service the company provided."

The court heard evidence that planes were delayed because of thunderstorms and that up to 35 flights had been held up at Hongqiao Airport.

"When the plane was finally ready to leave at 6 PM, there were 35 delayed flights in the airport," said the judge.

(China Daily January 26, 2005)