Explainer | How do Hong Kong’s Cathay, other airlines deal with unruly fliers? The Post has answers
Incident involving drunk passenger on Chicago-bound Cathay flight puts safety back under microscope, as industry body warns of legal loophole
A Cathay Pacific Airways flight travelling from Hong Kong to Chicago was forced to divert to Tokyo to remove an unruly passenger suspected of verbally abusing and touching cabin crew earlier this week, with the Post learning the plane was forced to dump 22 tonnes of fuel before landing.
The decision was made in accordance with the Hong Kong flag carrier’s operational protocols and the airline stressed the importance of safety as it apologised to customers affected by the diversion.
The Post looks at the possible consequences when unruly passengers disrupt flights and how different jurisdictions handle such situations.
1. What happened on the flight?
Flight CX806 left Hong Kong at 12.30pm on Sunday, but its captain opted to divert the aircraft to Tokyo to remove the troublesome passenger.
A source said the passenger was believed to have verbally abused and touched cabin crew members after mixing alcohol with his medication. He calmed down after receiving a written warning, with Cathay staff opting not to restrain him with handcuffs.
The captain then decided to divert to Narita airport to offload the man, notifying ground control that the plane would jettison its 22 tonnes of fuel before landing, the source said.
After the stop-off, the plane eventually reached Chicago at 4.45am US time, two hours behind schedule.
