Three Chinese passengers were thrown off a plane at Siem Reap airport shortly before it took off, after an altercation spiralled out of control, Chinese media reported yesterday.

The argument on the aircraft bound for Chengdu started after a man complained to a woman sitting in front of him that her seat was reclined too far, and then inadvertently touched her hair. An argument broke out and friends and relatives joined in, reports said.

Attempts by cabin crew and fellow passengers to calm the situation failed, and the captain eventually decided the safety of the flight was jeopardised and asked immigration staff to remove the two combatants and the man’s wife from the plane. One passenger was reported as saying the couple were in their 60s.

The flight was delayed by more than an hour, whilst the three ejected passengers returned home on two later flights.

In April China started a “blacklist” of citizens who behave badly abroad after incidents including travellers drying underwear in an airport, defecating in public, opening emergency doors on aircraft and throwing boiling noodles at cabin crew.