Cathay Pacific apologises after flight returns to US due to smoke report

Cathay Pacific has apologised to passengers on a flight to Hong Kong that returned to the US city of Boston following a report of smoke in the cockpit and cabin. 

In a statement seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Cathay Pacific said the CX811 flight from Boston to Hong Kong on Monday made a precautionary flight return to Logan International Airport in accordance with standard procedures, following a report of smoke in the cockpit and cabin shortly after take-off.  

“The aircraft landed normally at 03:31 (local time) and returned to the gate where our engineers are now investigating and performing inspections. No injuries among our customers or crew were reported,” said the statement. 

“We have been regularly informing our customers of the latest status of the flight and will continue to provide them with appropriate assistance. Safety guides every decision we make. We sincerely apologise to the affected customers for the inconvenience.” 

Don't miss: Cathay Pacific apologises after toilet door comes off during 16-hour flight

This is not the first time Cathay faced criticisms over flight technical issues. Back in July 2024, Cathay apologised and launched an investigation after a toilet door dislodged during a flight. 

This came as two photos have been circulating on social media platform Threads, with captions claiming that "The bathroom door was blown right off within three minutes of takeoff. (起飛三分鐘，廁所門直接噴飛)”, according to HK01. 

One photo shows a female flight attendant sitting in the cabin crew seat, wearing a seatbelt, and using one hand to hold onto a fallen toilet door. Meanwhile, another photo depicts the same flight attendant, along with other cabin crew members, addressing the issue with the toilet. 

Don't miss: Cathay apologises for airing controversial Family Guy episode with 'Tank Man' scene

On the other hand, the airline also went under fire for airing an episode of the animated American series Family Guy that was said to be related to Tiananmen Square’s “Tank Man” on its in-flight entertainment programme. The episode has been taken down in December 2024. 

According to its official statement seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Cathay Pacific’s spokesperson said it is aware of the incident and sincerely apologises to the affected customers. “We emphasise that the content of the programme does not represent Cathay Pacific's standpoint, and have immediately arranged to have the programme removed as soon as possible.”

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