Why are there more fights on Hong Kong flights? Conditions, social media blamed

Confined space, a lack of legroom, stress-provoking boarding procedures and airlines’ cost-saving measures are a recipe for conflicts among air passengers, observers have said, after another heated dispute on a Hong Kong flight.

Experts also said on Sunday that social media had fuelled a “copycat effect” in which people imitated disruptive behaviour and aggressive responses they had seen online.

Hong Kong Airlines issued written warnings to four passengers and alerted Korean law enforcement authorities following a dispute on flight HX628 from the city to Seoul on Friday.

A video circulating online shows a man and a woman speaking Mandarin arguing with a Cantonese-speaking pair, and flight attendants trying to break up the fight, which involved pulling and grabbing.

The Mandarin-speaking woman is heard in the minute-long clip repeatedly yelling, “he hit my son”, while grabbing another passenger.

It was just one of the latest clashes seen mid-air that had authorities involved.