China Eastern Airlines refute allegations made by Indian newspaper

China Eastern Airlines today refuted a report from an Indian newspaper claiming Indian passengers faced "rough treatment" at Pudong International Airport.

The Times of India, an English language newspaper, reported on Thursday that an Indian official complained that Indian passengers using wheelchairs were abandoned by airport staffers midway at Pudong airport. They were also "insulted" by ground staff at the airport, the report said.

"Wheelchair carriers were leaving Indian-origin passengers in the middle of their destination at the airport," the report quoted Satnam Singh Chahal, North American Punjabi Association executive director, as saying.

Chahal alleged in the report that an officer at the counter also "jumped on him with anger without any reason," shouted at him and made fun of him, when he asked for help.

He took China Eastern flight MU564 from New Delhi to San Francisco and stopped over at Pudong airport on August 6.

Chahal has written to India's minister of external affairs, Sushma Swaraj, to urge her to take up the matter with her Chinese counterpart. He has also requested Swaraj issue an advisory to Indian passengers to avoid travelling through China during their international flights, according to the report.

China Eastern Airlines said the report did not tally with the facts after an investigation, the carrier said in a statement. The airline has checked the related documents and video footage on that day to investigate the allegations.

The carrier has always strictly stuck to service procedures and standard to offer a quality travel experience to global passengers, the Shanghai-based airline said in the statement today.