Cathay flight CX831 turns back twice en route to Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific flight CX831 followed an unusual flight path on March 30, 2020. After taking off from New York, the plane bound for Hong Kong made two U-turns above Canada, before completing the route normally.

The Boeing 777ER, registered B-KQG, was operating flight CX831 from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG). About one hour after takeoff, the plane started circling back, north of Trois-Rivières, Canada, flying back towards the United States. However, less than half an hour later, as it was flying above Montreal, the flight turned again and resumed its course.

According to the aviation photographer Tom Podolec, the flight encountered a technical issue with water on board, prompting a turnaround. As the issue was later resolved, the flight resumed normally.

AeroTime reached out to Cathay Pacific for comment but did not receive any reply at the time of publication.

Water issues are a serious concern for flight crews. On February 11, 2019, Jet2 flight LS155 from Glasgow International Airport (GLA) to Tenerife South Airport (TFS) diverted to Manchester Airport (MAN) because it did not have “enough water for coffee and tea.”

 

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