A China Southern Airlines plane. File photo: IC

A passenger flight from South China's Guangdong Province to Beijing was delayed three and a half hours on Sunday after a passenger threw coins at the aircraft.

The plane CZ3121 from China Southern Airlines was scheduled to take off from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at around 10 am on Sunday morning. However, when the passengers were boarding the plane at around 9 am, the crew members of the flight found that one of the passengers threw coins at the aircraft, the airlines company said in a statement on its Weibo account.

A security inspection was immediately carried out and two coins were found near the belly of the aircraft.

To ensure the safety of the flight, the flight operator decided to postpone the takeoff and conduct a thorough inspection.

After finding no any other issues, the flight took off at 1:29 pm and safely arrived at the destination at 4 pm.

The passenger related to the incident has been taken away by the police for further questioning.

The airlines company reminds all passengers to strictly comply with civil aviation laws and regulations when flying, and to refrain from engaging in actions that could jeopardize aviation safety.

Global Times