A wing and a prayer: Chinese airline staff pictured praying for punctual flight
Photo of airline flight attendants kneeling before food-trolley altar goes viral
A photo of two flight attendants praying for their plane to take off on time has gone viral online, after recent reports revealed the extent of the mainland's notorious flight delays.
In the photo, the flight attendants are seen in an aircraft cabin kneeling in front of a food trolley that appears to be arranged as a makeshift altar. A poster with the words "be on time" written on it is placed on the trolley, surrounded by food and fruit.
It is traditional in Chinese culture to pray for good fortune to gods or ancestors, with food and lit incense sticks as offerings, at home or in temples.
The post came after a recent survey by a US-based airport statistics tracker found that Beijing and Shanghai airports had the worst records for on-time departures and arrivals among dozens of major international airports.
Last Tuesday, 233 flights were cancelled at Beijing Capital International Airport and 1,126 flights were delayed by more than four hours, said the global tracker, FlightStats.
The photo of the praying flight attendants struck a chord with Chinese internet users, with many expressing sympathy.