Medical emergency forces Cathay Pacific flight diversion causing lengthy delay

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Medical emergency forces Cathay Pacific flight diversion causing lengthy delay

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Airbus A380 | Airbus

By Sky Industry News

Jan 5, 2025

A Cathay Pacific flight from Toronto to Hong Kong was diverted to Reykjavik Keflavik International Airport in Iceland due to a medical emergency, resulting in a 54-hour delay. The Airbus A350-1000, registered as B-LXM, was operating flight CX829 on January 2, 2025.

While flying over Greenland, the crew decided to divert the plane for an emergency landing at Reykjavik Keflavik International Airport. A spokesperson for Cathay Pacific confirmed that "Cathay Pacific flight CX829 from Toronto to Hong Kong on 2 January was diverted to Keflavik International Airport in order to offload a passenger who needed urgent medical attention."

After addressing the medical situation and refueling, the captain chose to return the aircraft to Toronto Pearson International Airport due to regulations regarding crew operation and rest hours set by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department. The airline explained, "Our local team in Toronto duly arranged hotel accommodation with meal and transportation for our customers as appropriate. Safety guides every decision we make. We sincerely apologize to the affected customers for the inconvenience."

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The delayed flight eventually departed for Hong Kong at 15:30 local time on January 3 with a new crew. The journey typically takes around 15 hours and is one of Cathay Pacific's longest routes.

Although it remains unclear if the flight was fully booked, Cathay's Airbus A350-1000 can accommodate up to 334 passengers across three classes: business class, premium economy, and economy class.

Cathay Pacific operates a fleet of 18 A350-1000 aircrafts with an average age of 5.2 years and is second only to Qatar Airways in terms of fleet size for this model. The airline also has a significant number of Airbus A350-900s totaling 30 units.

The carrier frequently uses its A350-1000s on routes connecting Hong Kong with European cities like London Heathrow, Manchester, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Zurich, and Madrid. In North America, destinations include New York JFK, Boston BOS, and Toronto YYZ.

In April 2025, Cathay will launch a new route between Hong Kong and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport using their A350-1000 aircraft. This route will operate four times weekly and aims to enhance Cathay's presence in the United States while boosting international connectivity from its base in Hong Kong.