Air rage on the rise in China A common complaint is that the airlines often leave delayed passengers in the dark about the situation. "In the past, only 'first class' people had the privilege to travel by plane so the average Chinese has very high expectations for services," Li Yuliang, an independent civil aviation commentator told Reuters. But when they actually fly, they find the services are not as good, especially when there is a delay, and these disappointed passengers make a lot of trouble. One of the chief reasons for the delays is that commercial flights can only operate in around 20 per cent of the total airspace, much of which is controlled by China's air force. "It's like an eight-lane highway with just two lanes open," said Jeff Zhang, a pilot at one of the leading Chinese carriers. The airspace is too small. Out-dated equipment, relatively stricter safety standards and a lack of air traffic controllers also play their part.