The plane had already been delayed for five hours before they boarded, only to face further delays while ice was cleared from the aircraft, the report said/FILE
They were forced to wait in their seats for hours Saturday after their flight from the southwest city of Kunming to Beijing was delayed, Xinhua news agency said.
After requesting that they be allowed off the plane for health reasons, some passengers “opened three emergency doors in an attempt to stop the flight,” forcing the plane to return to the terminal, Xinhua cited a passenger as saying.
The passenger added that those on board were worried that the vice captain was unable to control himself after he “swore and cursed,” Xinhua said.
The plane had already been delayed for five hours before they boarded, only to face further delays while ice was cleared from the aircraft, the report said.
A total of 25 passengers were detained by airport police, though it was not clear if they had been released. Others travelled to Beijing by another flight.
China’s growing wealth has seen a boom in air travel over the past decade, and a rise in incidents of unruly passenger behaviour.
Last month a budget flight from Thailand to China was forced to return to Bangkok after a Chinese passenger threw hot water at a cabin attendant.
Chinese state-run media branded four unruly passengers on board as “barbarians,” reporting that one of them had threatened to blow up the plane in a row over a seating arrangement.
An airport in Kunming saw chaotic scenes in 2013, when thousands of angry passengers were stranded for hours after heavy fog delayed flights.
Passengers stuck at the airport for more than a day struggled with airline staff, damaging computer equipment belonging to an airline, while police broke up scuffles.
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