Woman Cognac lover barred after downing bottle in airport row in China

Beijing: A Chinese woman who was prevented from carrying a bottle of cognac on board a plane downed it all, became so drunk at the airport here that she was declared unfit to fly.

The woman, identified only by her surname Zhou, had bought the Remy Martin XO Excellence in the US and then tried to take it on board an internal flight from Beijing to Wenzhou in east China.

But the 700ml bottle, costing USD 190, was far above the 100ml that security laws allow.

She became hugely drunk and was forced to sleep it off at Beijing airport, the BBC reported.

The incident occurred at Beijing Capital International Airport last Friday.

The passenger downed the bottle at about midday after being informed she could not take it on board.

She began to shout incoherently, then fell over and started rolling around the floor, prompting authorities to intervene.

One airport officer told the South China Morning Post: "She was so drunk ... She couldn't even stand up. We took her to a room in a wheelchair so she could rest."

She was denied entry on to the plane and was given medical care.

The woman then slept and reportedly did not sober up until about 19:00. She was released by police to family members who came to pick her up.

One report even said she thanked police for helping her.