How do Hong Kong's Cathay and other airlines deal with unruly passengers? The post has answers

A Cathay Pacific Airways flight flying from Hong Kong to Chicago had to divert to Tokyo earlier this week to remove an unruly passenger suspected of verbally abusing and touching cabin crew. The Post learned that the plane was forced to offload 22 tons of fuel before landing.

The decision was made in line with the Hong Kong airline's operating protocols and the airline stressed the importance of safety as it apologized to customers affected by the diversion.

The post looks at the potential consequences if unruly passengers disrupt flights and how different jurisdictions handle such situations.

1. What happened on the flight?

Flight CX806 took off from Hong Kong at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, but its captain decided to divert the plane to Tokyo to remove the disruptive passenger.

According to a source, the passenger allegedly insulted and touched cabin crew after mixing alcohol with his medication. He calmed down after receiving a written warning and Cathay staff chose not to handcuff him.