NEED TO KNOW
- A 20-year-old man allegedly attempted to open a door mid-flight on a Cathay Pacific aircraft on Wednesday, Dec. 10
- CX811 flight from Boston to Hong Kong landed safely without any passengers or crew being injured in the incident
- “The case has been handed over to the police for investigation. At Cathay, the safety of our customers and crew guides every decision we make,” an airline representative said
A plane passenger has been arrested after attempting to open the door on a flight from Boston to China.
On Wednesday, Dec. 10, a 20-year-old man from mainland China allegedly attempted to open a door during Cathay Pacific’s CX811 flight from Boston to Hong Kong, Reuters and The Independent reported.
“Our cabin crew immediately attended to the situation, inspected the door to ensure it was securely closed, and reported the incident to the relevant authorities and the police,” a Cathay Pacific representative told the outlets.
“The case has been handed over to the police for investigation. At Cathay, the safety of our customers and crew guides every decision we make,” they concluded.
The airline stated that the plane landed safely without any passengers or crew being injured during the mid-flight incident, per The Independent.
The man was arrested by Hong Kong police early on Thursday on suspicion of violating the Aviation Security Ordinance.
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Hong Kong Police Force and Cathay Pacific Airlines did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Friday, Dec. 12.
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Several similar mid-air incidents have occurred in recent months.
An All Nippon Airways Houston-bound flight was forced to divert to divert to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport when a passenger tried to open an emergency exit when there were four hours left of the journey from Tokyo.
The crew was assisted by two military veterans onboard in restraining the man, according to local station KRIV.
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Just three weeks ago, the Atlanta Police Department was forced to respond to an incident at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in which a passenger opened an emergency exit while a plane bound for Amsterdam was taxiing.
A preliminary investigation concluded that the individual opened the door in a panic while experiencing a “mental health episode.”
“He was evaluated by EMTs at the International Terminal Precinct before being charged with Reckless Conduct, Criminal Damage to Property, and Interfering with Security Measures,” said police.
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