Passenger arrested in Hong Kong for attempting to open plane door mid-flight from Boston
Hong Kong police arrested a passenger upon his arrival in the city state after he tried to open the door of a commercial plane mid-flight from Boston.
The 20-year-old Chinese passport holder, travelling in Cathay Pacific's CX811 flight on Dec. 10, did not successfully open the door of the aircraft. Still, his attempt was relayed to police, media outlets like NBC News and PEOPLE reported.
In an emailed statement to the media, Cathay Pacific assured the situation was under control.
"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," the airline said.
"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," it added. The company is Hong Kong's flagship airline.
According to reports, the plane landed without incident at 4:32 a.m., local time.
Hong Kong's Aviation Security Ordinance forbids the willful tampering with or interference with "any component of the aircraft, any apparatus or equipment of the aircraft, and any system installed in the aircraft."
This year alone, there have been several other incidents involving air travel.
In September, a skydiver's reserve parachute got caught in a plane's tail, which was flying over the south of Cairns. He was able to cut the strings of the reserve parachute, freeing himself, but not before helplessly dangling thousands of meters in the air. The skydiver was then able to deploy his main parachute, and landed safely on the ground.
More recently, in November, one of the engines of a cargo plane in US southern state Kentucky caught fire and detached during takeoff. The plane plowed into establishments adjacent to the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, killing 11 and leaving a fiery 800-meter trail.
