Two women taking a Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Japan to Hong Kong have been charged after an argument over a “trivial” matter ended in a scuffle on the plane.
Tsui, 32, from Hong Kong and Zhang, 60, from mainland China were charged with disruptive behaviour after the flight landed at 9.34pm on Monday, police said. The flight had departed Sapporo in Japan at 5.12pm.
The altercation was reportedly sparked by a child’s crying and escalated into a scuffle that saw the women throwing a cushion and a water bottle at each other.
Ms Zhang grew agitated when a three-year-old child she was travelling with began to cry. Ms Tsui, who was seated a row behind, responded by throwing a water bottle at Ms Zhang.
“The two had a scuffle over trivial matters on flight CX581 at around 9.45pm on Monday and later threw items at each other,” a Hong Kong police spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“When police arrived, Tsui said her forehead was injured while Zhang complained that she had chest pain. But both refused to be hospitalised.”
A Cathay Pacific Airlines spokesperson said: “Our cabin crew immediately attempted to contain the situation and issued a verbal warning before notifying the police for assistance. The two passengers were subsequently escorted off the aircraft by the airport security staff and the police.”
In Hong Kong, the charge of disorderly conduct or disobeying safety instructions can invite a fine of up to HK$50,000 (£5,152) and a prison sentence of up to five years.
In July last year, a Ryanair flight from Agadir to London was forced to make an emergency landing in Marrakech, Morocco, after a violent brawl broke out. The flight was bound for Stansted airport when a violent altercation over seating arrangements erupted just 36 minutes into the four-hour flight.