Support truly
independent journalism
A 76-year-old woman sustained a head injury on a Cathay Pacific aircraft after an item of hand luggage fell from the overhead bins.
The female passenger from Hong Kong was hospitalised after being struck on the head by a “misplaced item of luggage” on Monday evening (8 July).
Cathay Pacific confirmed that an unnamed passenger on flight CX255 from Hong Kong to London was injured during the boarding process.
She received medical assistance at the aviation hub before being transferred to a local hospital for further treatment.
The London-bound flight from Hong Kong International to Heathrow Airport departed just after 12am on Tuesday, an hour after it was scheduled to take off, due to the incident.
According to the airline, the passenger and her family were provided with hotel accommodation and rearranged flights to Heathrow.
A spokesperson for Cathay Pacific said: “The reason for the injury could be down to a misplaced item of luggage in the overhead storage compartment.
“Our cabin crew and ground staff immediately called for assistance, sent the passenger to a nearby hospital for further medical care, cancelled the flight for the passenger and her family members, and arranged for the family members to stay at an airport hotel.
“We take the issue of passenger safety very seriously. We are sorry for the incident and sincerely wish the passenger a speedy recovery. Our team will follow up and provide assistance to the passenger’s family.”
It’s not the first time a passenger has been injured in the cabin this year amid a wave of turbulent flights.
Last Monday, a Montevideo-bound Air Europa flight made an emergency landing in Brazil after being hit by “strong turbulence“ that left passengers stuck inside overhead bins and dozens of others with head, neck and chest injuries.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was flying from Madrid, Spain, to the Uruguayan capital when it made the diversion and landed at the Natal airport in northeastern Brazil at 2.32am local time.
For more travel news and advice listen to Simon Calder’s podcast.
