Crying baby spurs mid-flight brawl between Air China passengers

A woman is seen hitting her head on the overhead compartment during an argument mid-air. (YouTube/AP Photo)

Three women aboard an Air China flight to Hong Kong Wednesday got into a raucous fight over a crying baby, prompting the pilot to threaten an emergency landing.

Chan Juan Sung was traveling with her baby from Chongqing, China when the child started to cry, awakening two passengers seated in front of her, reports the Daily Mail. The two women complained about the loud baby, reportedly reclining their seats and yelling at the mother.

The situation continued to escalate until physical contact was made. One of the women hit her head on the overhead bin during the scuffle but the fight was not broken up until flight crew stepped in to separate the feuding passengers.

“I was sitting right next to them when they started telling the woman to shut the baby up,” Xiong Wan, a passenger aboard the flight recalled.

“She started shouting back at them and before I knew what was happening she leant over the seat and punched one of them. They then started hitting her and all hell broke loose.”

The fighting reportedly stopped for the duration of the flight but the police at Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok airport were notified of the incident after the plane landed to interview passengers involved.

“Passengers cannot behave like this. Each and everyone must adhere to aviation laws to ensure a safe and comfortable flight for all,” Daio Weimin, a spokesman for Air China said.

The baby brawl follows a series of unusual incidences aboard Asian aircrafts. Earlier this week, a novice flier opened an emergency exit door, prompting the evacuation slide to unfurl just before take-off. The reportedly just “wanted some fresh air.”

Last week, a passenger threw scalding hot noodles on a flight attendant during a charter flight from Bangkok to Nanjing, after being told she could not sit with her boyfriend during the trip.