A fight between passengers turned physical following a couple’s disruptive behavior on a recent Hong Kong Airlines flight, according to reports.
The scuffle began after a man and woman traveling with two young children insulted other passengers onboard and complained about “the speed” they were moving at while exiting the plane, which traveled from Bali to Hong Kong, The New York Post reported.
As passengers disembarked the plane onto the jet bridge, the couple said they were being “too slow” and “deliberately bumped into people” on their way out, according to the outlet.
The couple reportedly then started arguing with a crew member about the issue they had, as other passengers got involved.
A scene from the Hong Kong Airlines flight.
Jam Press
In videos posted online of the incident — which have since been removed — the couple can be seen being confronted by one angry passenger, who shouted at them and tried to punch the man, who dodged it.
The couple next attempted to push the flight attendant out of the way and leave the scene, per the Post, as other passengers then reportedly got involved and tried to combat the situation.
Tensions initially began to rise on the flight when the woman part of the couple was asked by a flight attendant to stow her handbag away properly before taking off during a pre-flight check, national publication Dimsum Daily reported.
According to the outlet, the woman shouted at the flight attendant, “I’ll put my bag wherever I want, and no one is allowed to touch it,” before she “lashed out physically” at them, causing other flight attendants to step in and tried to calm the situation.
Passengers complained about the couple during the flight for their behavior, as the man called them “trash people,” Dimsum Daily reported.
In a statement to us, Hong Kong Airlines confirmed that “appropriate action had been taken against the passengers involved.”
“Hong Kong Airlines takes flight safety and our passengers’ traveling experience very seriously. We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our crew and passengers and have a zero-tolerance policy towards any disruptive behavior or breaches of the Aviation Security Ordinance,” the airline added.
