Airline bans passengers after mid-flight argument over reclining seat blocking view of TV

Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong-based airline, has banned two passengers from flying with it after a heated argument over seat-reclining etiquette turned into a confrontation with xenophobic insults on a September 17 flight from Hong Kong to London.

A female passenger from mainland China shared her experience in a video on Xiaohongshu, a popular social media platform in China.

She explained that the trouble began when the woman behind her asked her to raise her seat as it was blocking her husband's view of the TV. After refusing, the woman behind her reportedly started stretching her feet onto the armrest, kicking her and hurling insults.

The situation worsened when the female passenger was mocked for her poor Cantonese, with offensive comments about her being from mainland China. As tensions rose, other passengers intervened, and the flight attendants offered the woman a different seat.

“Once I started recording, the husband behind me even shoved his hand on my armrest and started shaking it like crazy. I felt my personal space had been completely violated,” CNN quoted the woman as saying.

“After some passengers spoke up for me, the flight attendant finally said I could switch seats. I felt it was absurd—what if no one had backed me up? Would I have just been left to deal with it on my own?” she added.

The airline later apologised for the incident. It says it maintains a zero-tolerance policy for any behaviour that disrespects others or violates safety regulations. Cathay Pacific has since banned the two passengers involved from flying with the airline in the future.

“We will deny future travel on any Cathay Group flights to the two customers involved in this incident,” the company said.

Hong Kong-China tension

This incident has reignited debates about plane seat etiquette and highlighted tension between people from Hong Kong and mainland China.

The two regions have experienced friction due to political differences, especially following the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.