Cathay flight departs for LA after evacuation in Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. said flight CX880 had departed from Hong Kong to Los Angeles Saturday after an earlier takeoff was aborted and passengers were evacuated because of a “signal anomaly.” 

A different plane carrying 283 passengers left Hong Kong at 10:12 a.m. local time, according to a statement from the airline operator. Alternate arrangements have been made for those with connecting flights, it said. 

Nine of the 11 passengers who received treatment at hospitals have been discharged, Cathay said. 

Earlier Saturday, 293 passengers and 17 crew members aboard flight CX880 were evacuated through an emergency chute at Hong Kong’s airport after the plane scrapped its takeoff and taxied back to the parking area, the city’s airport authority said in a statement.

A faulty device forced pilots to apply the brakes as the plane was hurtling for takeoff, causing wheels to burst and flames to appear, the South China Morning Post reported, citing a police source it didn’t identify.

The airline arranged hotel accommodation for the affected passengers and another aircraft had been deployed to operate CX880, Cathay Pacific said in an earlier statement.

Passengers who required treatment were accompanied to the hospital by airline staff, according to the statement. Cathay said it will cooperate with authorities on the investigation.

Traffic at Hong Kong’s airport and Cathay, the city’s main carrier, are recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline said this week it expects to report a profit for the first six months of 2023, finally emerging from the most damaging period in its 76-year history.