It turned out to be a gloomy week for China Eastern Airlines, as it was flooded with customer demands for compensation over delayed flights.

This week, 14 China Eastern Airlines' planes refused to land and returned to their departure points in southwestern Yunnan Province. On April 3, the airline announced that severe winds had forced the planes to return, rejecting some media reports of a pilot strike.

Zhang Jing, PR of China Eastern Airlines, said, "Due to the bad weather in Yunnan on March 31, some of our flights had to return to departure airports."

The explanation isn't satisfying some of the passengers affected by the delays, as many of them have decided to take the airline to court.

Passenger Zheng Wei said, "We are preparing all the evidentiary support for a lawsuit. We need to protect our legal rights."

Some of the 14 flights were delayed for nearly 20 hours, and the airport terminals were crowded with anxious passengers waiting for their planes.

Passenger Zheng Wei said, "China Eastern says the delay was caused by the bad weather. When I asked why other airlines' flights were not affected, China Eastern said different airlines have different take-off standards."

Yunnan's flight routes include many popular tourist destinations, and many carriers operate in the region. But China Eastern was the only airline affected. Industry insiders believe the returning flights were caused by something other than "weather conditions".

Zhang Qihuai, director & lawyer of China Aviation Law Committee, said, "Personally, I don't think the China Eastern Airlines' dispute was caused by a pilot strike. If pilots really went on strike, they shouldn't even bother to take-off, then fly back. They could simply refuse to fly the plane. I believe the pilots were just making a point to their employer. It's just a passive way to express their dissatisfaction."

Industry insiders say the root of the problem is a shortage of pilots in China. They also say the rights of pilots should be protected, but not through improper means which sacrifice the interests of passengers.

Analysts are calling for China Eastern to compensate affected travelers as soon as possible, saying the problem was caused by an internal issue, and not the weather.