How happy would you be if your flight was delayed by a squabble over a lunchbox?

A squabble between a pilot and a cabin crew member caused a two-hour delay to an Air India flight this week, Travel Mole reports.

Air India now plans to ban pilots from bringing their own food into the cockpit after the skirmish, which saw the pilot ordering the cabin crew member to clean his lunchbox after he had eaten.

Both staff members were removed from the aeroplane and were then replaced - causing a near-two-hour delay to the Bengaluru-Kolkata flight.

"We have taken a serious note of this incident that happened on Monday. We will soon ask the pilots to not bring their own food on flights," a senior airline official said.

"I have been told that the captain wanted the cabin crew member to clean the tiffin after he finished his meal. Probably, this is what led to a fight between them. An investigation regarding this incident has already been started. Strict action will be taken," another airline source said.

Both employees have been ordered to attend a meeting at the airline HQ to explain their actions.

Air India chairman Ashwani Lohani reportedly said: "This nonsense has to stop and will stop."