In the latest incident of mainland Chinese travellers behaving badly, two Chinese passengers and a child caused a two-and-a-half hour flight delay. They were subsequently removed from a Dragonair flight at the Hong Kong International airport after refusing to leave the toilet as the plane prepared to take off.

The South China Morning Post reported that the saga began shortly after the three passengers boarded the Beijing-bound plane on Saturday afternoon at 3pm. The 33-year-old woman took the one-year-old child to the toilet. However, she allegedly cleaned the boy's discharge at the sink inside the cabin toilet without closing the door, drawing the ire of other passengers, who complained about the smell.

Although passengers were supposed to be in their seats and the 'fasten seatbelt' sign was in effect, the woman and her partner, a 34-year-old man, refused to finish cleaning the infant and return to their seats. This prompted the captain to request the trio to leave the plane at 4.30pm, citing concerns of cabin hygiene, the interests of other passengers, as well as the physical condition of the child. However, the couple refused the crew's request.

Consequently, the airline's operational staff asked for police assistance half an hour later. With the arrival of the police, the couple left the plane, but had already caused a two-and-a-half-hour delay in the taking off of the flight.

Police said that no one was arrested, and the case was settled.

Meanwhile, a Dragonair spokesman apologised to passengers affected by the disruption and said that the trio were put onto another Dragonair flight later in the day.

This is the third reported air incident in Hong Kong concerning mainland Chinese travellers on planes within a week, all of which involve pampered young children.

Just one week ago, on February 24, a mainland couple and their three-year-old son were removed from a Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight after the child refused to put on his seatbelt. This resulted in a heated row between the child's parents and the crew, as the parents argued that the boy should sit on his mother's lap.

The row took place minutes before the flight was scheduled to take off from Bangkok, Thailand, and ended up delaying the flight by about half an hour.

A day before, a similar incident occurred on a Hong Kong-bound flight from Bali, resulting in the police being called in. Hong Kong Airlines crew called the police when a three-year-old Chinese boy refused to remain in his seat when the plane landed at Hong Kong airport.

Disregarding cabin crew's insistence that the boy should sit in his own seat and wear a seatbelt, the boy's grandparent carried him instead.