A Chinese family was kicked off a Cathay Pacific flight after their three-year-old son refused to wear a seatbelt, causing a delay for other passengers. The Hong Kong-bound plane sat at its gate at a Bangkok airport for an extra 30 minutes while the family, flight attendants and other travellers were involved in a heated stand-off. Most airlines allow children under two to sit on a parent’s lap during take-off and landing. Any child over that age must sit in their own seat and wear a safety belt. The boy's father (middle) rowed with other passengers, putting the flight 30 minutes behind schedule . In last Thursday’s incident, the boy refused to take his seat and wear a seatbelt moments before flight CX654 was scheduled to take off from Suvarnabhumi Bangkok International Airport, a passenger, named Lau, told Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper. All other passengers were seated and prepared for their two-hour journey. Flight attendants asked the family to put the boy in his seat and buckle his safety belt, but the parents refused to obey their directions and insisted that the boy be allowed to sit on his mother’s lap, the South China Morning Post reported. A passenger recorded the argument that followed and shared the video with Apple Daily. A female passenger urged cabin crew to call police after the family refused to get off the plane . In the video, the boy’s defiant father said: ‘If others keep on harassing us, then we will not leave.’ A female passenger, speaking in Cantonese, urged cabin crew to call police, adding: ‘We are customers too. Why are you two allowed to harass all the passengers on board?’ The boy’s father, speaking Putonghua, refused to stand down, saying: ‘If you keep on talking, we won’t leave.’ Moments later, the boy’s mother carries the crying child off the plane as the father collects their belongings. In a similar incident, police were called after a couple refused to place their grandson in his seat . Cathay Pacific defended its decision, telling the South China Morning Post that it was based on safety grounds. A day before, police were called to Hong Kong International Airport after a three-year-old boy would not remain in his seat on a Hong Kong Airlines flight that arrived from Bali, Indonesia, the newspaper reported. In that incident, the boy’s grandparents disobeyed instructions from cabin crew and carried the boy.
Plane sat at its gate in Bangkok while father rowed with staff, travellers . He said the family wouldn't leave 'if others keep on harassing us'
Family eventually disembarked after protests from other passengers . Airline defended its decision, saying it was based on safety grounds . Most airlines allow children under two to sit on a parent's lap .