On March 31.2008, 18 China Eastern Airlines planes refused to land and returned to their departure points in Yunnan, a southwestern province in China. The airline has announced that the return was caused by severe winds and denied that's pilot strike as reported by some media.

This has become one of the hottest news in China nowadays since the explanation cannot be accepted by the passengers affected by the delays, as many of them have decided to take the airline to court.

The official weather report indicates that weather is good enough for the landing on the days above event took place. All flights from other airlines have landed in the same destinations.

On April 1, 2008, there are another 4 flights from the same airline played the game again. It is said that there are more pilots joining the strike to support the early pioneers.

Previously, on March 14, more than 40 Shanghai Airlines pilots called in sick, as did 11 pilots from recently established Wuhan East Star Airlines on March 28, the two sick-outs together resulting in a slew of flight cancellations.

Today, China Easterm Airlines, for the first time, have acknowledged that the event might not only caused by the bad weather. If they confirm pilots intent to do it, the airline will punish the pilot and might forbid them from any more fly.

This event has caused disputes again on the impact of the new China employment contract law which have given the employees more freedom and less liabilities when changing jobs.

A boom in air travel means China is increasingly short on pilots, while cut-throat competition between airlines keeps their profit margins tight. The newly established private airlines are willing to buy the readily trained and experienced pilots from big state-owned airlines and pay the compensation. This, actually, have no conflicts with the new Chinese employment contract law.

Following the Hongkong, Taiwai, South Korea invested manufacturers shutting down their factories in China and move to lower cost countries, the China aviation industry has become another industry that questioning the new law.