A FLIGHT from Chongqing to Hong Kong was almost forced to turn back on Wednesday when a violent fracas involving four women from China's mainland erupted in the cabin, reported Hong Kong's media.

In the latest incident involving mainland people on a plane, cabin crew on Air China flight CA433, which took off from the Chinese city at about 9am, had to step in after the women seated on two adjacent rows came to blows, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

The crew warned the combatants that the flight would turn back if they continued fighting. The plane finally reached Hong Kong's airport safely at 10.20am, whereupon the crew sought assistance from the police, according to SCMP.

The incident started when the flight was at an altitude of about 7,500m, and the four apparently middle-aged women got into an argument over a crying baby. Two of them reclined their seats to their fullest extent because they were riled up by the noise from the infant, reported SCMP.

A fierce altercation ensued. It was so fiery that one of the women was pulled out of her seat and her head almost hit the luggage compartment above, according to a photo from the Beijing News.

The incident is the most recent of a series of mid-air missteps by Chinese passengers this month.

On Dec 12, a male Chinese passenger on a China Eastern flight caused a two-hour delay when he attempted to disembark from the plane faster by using the emergency exit.

In another similar incident in Hangzhou on Dec 14, a Chinese man, a first-time flier, opened the emergency exit just before the plane took off to "get some air", the Southern Metropolis Daily and SCMP reported, citing social media posts from fellow passengers.

On Dec 11, four Chinese travellers poured hot water on a flight attendant on an AirAsia flight because they were unhappy with the seating arrangement, in an assault that triggered widespread outrage.

It prompted the China National Tourism Administration urge travel agencies to help "regulate" the behaviour of Chinese tourists.