Chinese civil aviation authorities are investigating claims that a domestic airline refused to make way for a Qatar Airways jet that was low on fuel at Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport.
Rumours had circulated online that the pilot of a Juneyao Airlines flight refused to give way even after the pilot of the long-distance flight from Doha issued a Mayday call, two weeks ago.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China's eastern branch announced on its website late yesterday that it was investigating both Juneyao Airlines and Qatar Airways over the August 13 incident.
It said Qatar's QR888 reported low fuel after being held above Shanghai Pudong International Airport due to bad weather, and asked for priority landing at nearby Hongqiao.
'The air traffic control ordered Juneyao's HO1112 to make way [for the Doha flight], but the crew on board did not follow,' the aviation authorities said in a statement, adding that Qatar's jet eventually touched down safely.
According to a post on a forum of Feeyo.com, a civil aviation site, the pilot of the domestic Airbus A320 from Shenzhen declined the controller's order, saying it was also short on fuel. A few minutes later, the Qatar pilot radioed Mayday and requested an immediate landing, but could not because the Juneyao pilot insisted on landing first.