×
Enjoying ad-free content?
Since July 1, 2024, we have disabled all ads to improve your reading experience.
This commitment costs us $10,000 a month. Your support can help us fill the gap.
Support us
Our journalism is banned in Russia. We need your help to keep providing you with the truth.

Kung Fu at 30,000 Feet

Hong Kong Airlines, which launched service to Moscow last year, has begun training its cabin crew in a form of kung fu called Wing Chun to deal with drunk and unruly passengers.

The airline said disruptive-passenger incidents occur three times per week on average.

A close-range martial art, Wing Chun is well suited to the confines of an airplane.

Hong Kong Airlines is not the first airline to require its crews to learn a martial art. Another Hong Kong-based airline, Cathay Pacific — which also launched a Moscow route in 2010 — already includes self defense in its regular crew training program.

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more