Crazed fans of boy band Teens in Times try to invade business class cabin of flight in China to see their idols
- Two members of the pop group were in the business class section of an Air China flight when a group of fans attempted to mob them
- Crowds of young women smashed a glass barrier at an airport in 2019 to get to Deng Chaoyuan, a 24-year-old actor and singer
China’s notorious pop fans have caused controversy again after a group of young women attempted to invade the business class cabin of a flight in Beijing to see members of the seven-person boy group Teens in Times.
A group of female passengers on an Air China flight from Hangzhou to Beijing on Wednesday ignored the flight attendants’ repeated request to return to their seats as they sought to catch a glimpse of two members of the popular boy group, also known as TNT, according to a video shared by another passenger on Weibo, China’s Twitter, later that day. The video later became unavailable on the platform and appeared to have been removed.
Staff from Air China confirmed the incident on flight CA1717 and said the cabin crew had tried to restrain the fans.
In the viral video, about a dozen women were seen squeezed in the cabin aisle, some holding up their phones in the hope of taking photos of the two young singers as the plane taxied down the runway after landing at Beijing Capital international Airport.
They were chasing 16-year-old He Junlin and Yan Haoxiang from the boy group, according to a series of posts shared by their fans.
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Fans of boy band ‘Teens in Times’ try to meet their idols on a plane during take-off
When a flight attendant warned that they could fall over and get injured, one of the fans challenged the flight attendant to bet 1,000 yuan (US$157) that it would happen to show their defiance.
The video prompted a public outcry on Chinese social media, with many warning that the fans were creating public disorder and should be punished.
“They should be banned from taking planes for a few years,” one Weibo user commented.
Crazy fandom in entertainment circles has triggered widespread criticism in recent years, but fans show little sign of calming down.
Large quantities of a yogurt brand made by the show’s sponsor were bought, not to eat but for the packaging, which carried QR codes allowing people to vote for contestants. The yogurt itself was dumped, causing a public outcry about food wastage and condemnation from state media after videos of wasted yogurt were posted online.
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Frenzied fans have also been an annoyance and sometimes even a threat to public security at airports.
No one was injured but the incident caused chaos and panic at the airport.
Just a few months later, in October, a flight from Beijing to Wuxi was delayed for over half an hour as excited fans of actor Xiao Zhan swarmed to the departure lounge at the Beijing Capital International Airport to see him and prevented him from boarding the plane on time.
Xiao later issued a public apology and warned his fans against any form of greetings or farewells in airports.
