Police board Air New Zealand flight to Shanghai after woman becomes 'hangry'

Police were called to board an Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Shanghai after a passenger apparently had a meltdown over her in-flight meal.

TVNZ reporter Katie Bradford said in a Twitter post that the woman "nearly caused a riot when they didn't have the meal she wanted".

Air New Zealand said in a statement police met NZ289 on arrival in Shanghai on Thursday morning after a "passenger disturbance" on board.

The incident comes as China's Air Transport Association is attempting to crack down on "uncivilised" passengers following a string of high-profile air rage incidents.

The association recently released a blacklist of passengers, which was supported by five of China's major airlines and would also be shared with civil aviation and tourism agencies, CNN reported.

One of the blacklisted passengers allegedly hurled a carton of milk at airport officials and the X-ray security scanner at check-in, while another was accused of attacking an airport official over a delay.