Cathay Pacific flight makes emergency return to Boston due to smoke in cockpit

In the early hours of Monday, Cathay Pacific flight CX811 had to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Boston Logan International Airport. The crew declared a MAYDAY situation due to smoke detected in the cockpit. The aircraft, an Airbus A350-1000, landed safely with no injuries reported.

The incident occurred on January 20, 2025. Flight CX811 left Boston at 02:23 for Hong Kong but stopped climbing at around 5,000 feet and declared an emergency. The crew informed air traffic control about the smoke and requested to return to the airport after dumping fuel.

Flight data indicated that the aircraft circled over Massachusetts Bay while releasing fuel. Air traffic control warned other planes in the area about this activity. After completing the fuel dump, the plane was cleared for landing approximately one hour after takeoff and was met by emergency services upon arrival.