A domestic flight at Kunming Changshui International Airport suffered a three-hour delay just before scheduled takeoff after an eagle-eyed passenger lining up to board the plane noticed a flat tyre.
Some passengers already on Beijing Capital Airlines Flight JD5158 were taken off while the tyre was changed and further safety inspections were carried out.
A passenger reportedly alerted a flight attendant and then everyone was deplaned back to the waiting lounge.
The airline released a statement to customers on its Weibo account.
"During pre-flight checks in Kunming, engineer staff found damage to the left interior wheel on a Capital Airlines flight from Kunming to Hangzhou. ‘They immediately informed the relevant parties and changed the tyre. Passengers were required to exit the plane according to normal procedures to start security checks again. "
