A CHILD who would not put on his seat belt on a plane caused his family to be removed from the flight, but not without sparking a commotion on board and delaying the flight, reported Hong Kong's media.

Moments before take-off, flight attendants on Cathay Pacific flight CX654, which was heading from Bangkok to Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon, urged the boy's parents to make their three-year-old son sit down and wear his seat belt, as per safety instructions, but they refused, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The mainland Chinese couple wanted the child to sit on his mother's lap instead, SCMP reported, prompting an argument.

Another passenger identified only by the surname Lau told the Apple Daily that the boy had refused to sit down and wear his seat belt.

In a video that Lau took of the incident and provided by Apple Daily, a female passenger speaking Cantonese can be heard scolding the mainland Chinese couple: "We are customers too. Why are you allowed to harass the whole flight?"

She also told the crew members to call the police.

The boy's father, speaking in Mandarin, can also be seen in the video accusing others of "bullying" them, and saying: "If others keep harassing us, we will not leave the plane."

The family finally left the plane after more crew members stepped in.

The flight was delayed by 27 minutes, SCMP quoted Cathay Pacific as saying. The airline added that the family's ejection was due to safety reasons.

Most airlines stipulate that a child above the age of two is no longer an infant, and has to occupy a separate seat and be secured with a seat belt during take-off and landing.

On Monday, a Hong Kong Airlines flight from Bali was forced to summon the police when it landed at Hong's Kong's airport after a three-year-old mainland Chinese boy refused to stay in his seat, reported SCMP.

It was reported that the boy's grandparent had carried him despite crew members telling them that the boy had to occupy his own seat and use a seat belt.