Chinese visitors at the 2024 Singapore Airshow claimed they were barred from visiting an Airbus A400M German military aircraft on display.
A now widely circulated video clip, shared on social media, shows a male Chinese national attempting to visit the A400M but was prevented by Airbus staff.
In the video, the Airbus staff can be seen repeatedly asking the man what his nationality was.
When the man asked why this information was needed, the staff explained it was because the A400M is a German aircraft.
When the man told the staff member he was from China, she barred him from entering, saying, “It is not possible.”
When he asked why, the staff member replied: “Because it is German rules” and due to “military restrictions”.
Chinese media outlet Global Times reported that a Chinese netizen named “Qianzhan Qifei” posted on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo that soldiers from the German army and Airbus staff told people lining up to see the A400M that, “Chinese and Russian nationals are not allowed to board the plane”.
Another Sina Weibo user alleged that he was physically attacked by German soldiers onboard the A400M.
Airbus, which has a Sina Weibo account, issued an apology via the platform.
The post, translated from Chinese, reads:
“We have noticed that during the public open day of the Singapore Airshow, some of the attendees had doubts about the visit of an A400M military transport aircraft. After learning about this situation, we immediately communicated and coordinated with relevant parties, improved the visit process in a timely manner, and ensured that the plane was open to all attendees. We deeply regret the inconvenience caused by our previous on-site work and thank you for your continued attention and feedback.”
