Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific has banned two passengers from its flights after an argument over seat-reclining etiquette descended into xenophobic insults.

To recline or not to recline? Seat-reclining etiquette on planes has long been the subject of debate, but an argument over reclining seats between three passengers on Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific escalated into xenophobic insults.

Cathay Pacific Airlines banned two passengers after an argument over seat-reclining escalated into xenophobic slurs on a flight from Hong Kong to London. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between mainland China and Hong Kong.