Virgin Atlantic on Friday released a statement over an earlier incident in which a Chinese passenger was being verbally assaulted and threatened onboard. This was the airlines’ first public response over the racial discrimination case that has sparked internet outcry in China. But the concise statement with its indifferent tone just set off another round of anguish from the Chinese netizens.

According to the statement, the airlines is regret to hear the alleged incident and has now launched an investigation. While the statement maintained that the airlines does not tolerate any kinds of racial discrimination, it also stated that the air attendants had made their “best effort” onboard to mediate and arbitrate between the relevant parties. There is no mentioning about the flight attendant’s mishandling the incident by threatening to kick the Chinese passenger out of the plane.

“This isn’t an apology. It is rather a mere response or a plain statement,” wrote Global Times.

“I suggest not to take Virgin Atlantic until this incident is properly clarified and handled,” said Chinese netizen Joe Wong.

Founder of Virgin group Richard Branson on March 18 posted on his Twitter account in both English and Chinese saying he was sorry to hear about the alleged incident.

“Really sorry to hear about an alleged incident on flight VS250. We do not tolerate abuse and @virginatlantic are investigating,” wrote Branson.

The incident took place on March 1, 2016, when a Chinese female passenger was verbally abused by a Caucasian male passenger and later one of the flight attendants on a London flight en route to Shanghai. According to the female Chinese passenger, a Caucasian male began hurling racial epithets such as “f*cking Chinese pig”, ”get the f—k out of here" at her and swearing without any provocation. The incident went from bad to worse when a flight attendant approached the victim threatening to have her taken away from the plane if she did not stop quarreling.

To many netizens, the actions or responses that the Airlines has given so far, if any, just showed that the company is not taking the case at all seriously. Its public attitude misleadingly conveys that this was just a complaint of a scuffle between two passengers, instead of a racial discrimination case. The flight attendant didn’t even try to stop the verbal assault but, to make things worse, threatened the victim.

For more details please read: Woman Was Called "Chinese Pig" on Flight by Passenger, Only to be Threatened by Crew to Leave the Plane in Mid-air.