The man, surnamed Feng, attempted to force open the door of a Hainan Airlines flight after fighting with flight attendants and other passengers.
However, air marshals on board the aircraft stopped him from opening the door, witnesses were quoted as saying by Beijing's Mirror newspaper.
Only last month, a Chinese passenger on board an internal Xiamen Air flight from Hangzhou to Chengdu sparked a safety scare by opening an emergency exit just before the plane was due to take off to "get some fresh air".
As the aircraft began its descent he reportedly refused to fasten his seat belt, and then allegedly began fighting with airline staff and passengers as they tried to stop him leaving his seat.
Police detained the man soon after the aircraft landed in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, the South China Morning Post reported.