A local airline said its refusal to allow a former employee to travel on one of its aircraft was because of security concerns.

Fan Houjun, 36, who once worked as a security guard at the Fuzhou branch of Xiamen Airlines, based in Fujian Province, was again refused boarding last Thursday, Beijing News said yesterday.

The newspaper quoted the airline as saying: "Fan is seeking ways to disturb our normal operations. He is seeking revenge over a labor dispute with the company that occurred four years ago."

The airline said Fan had repeatedly caused trouble for the company.

Fan, however, said he had been treated unfairly and had filed a lawsuit against the carrier on Friday for discrimination and compensation of 60,000 yuan ($8,800).

He said he had been rejected from boarding the company's aircraft on five occasions "without justifiable reason" and was on its blacklist.

Fan worked for Xiamen Airlines between 1993 and 2004, and left over a dispute.

In 2006, Fan received more than 190,000 yuan in compensation from the airline on the condition he leave Fuzhou and refrain from traveling on any of the company's aircraft until the birth of his first child, the Beijing News said.

Following the birth of his daughter in June, Fan said he was still refused boarding of the company's aircraft. Last month he had tried on four occasions.

Fan said he had no difficulty boarding aircraft of other companies.

Xiamen Airlines is a small carrier, 60 percent owned by China Southern Airlines.

(China Daily September 16, 2008)