Two officials have been sacked and an airport temporarily shut down in Zhejiang Province after an arson attempt injured two passengers on a flight, local authorities said Wednesday.

The director and vice director of the civil aviation administration of Taizhou have been fired over the incident on Shenzhen Airlines Flight ZH 9648, the government of Taizhou told Xinhua.

A man was subdued by crew and other passengers after trying to start a fire on the flight from Taizhou as it was landing at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in Guangdong Province early Sunday.

China Central Television quoted a passenger as saying a man with a knife had lit a curtain and newspapers in the first-class cabin. The fire filled the cabin with smoke. Other reports said gasoline was used.

The incident has prompted questions of how the man managed to bring a knife, a lighter and gasoline on the plane.

Operations of Taizhou airport have been suspended starting Wednesday, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), saying the airport was found to have "severe safety risks."

A work group will be sent to supervise the airport's management, the CAAC added, which also asked local civil aviation authorities to conduct safety checks on small, medium-sized and new airports.