A Cathay Pacific aircraft was met with emergency police and fire services due to smoke being found onboard in the cabin. After landing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and safely evacuated, zero injuries were reported.
The Flight
On July 5, Cathay Pacific Flight CX624 took off from Bengaluru, India at Kempegowda International Airport (BLR). The flight proceeded normally during its cruise phase over the ocean, the issue manifested at the very end of the journey.
Upon its arrival at Hong Kong, as the plane was exiting the runway and transitioning onto the taxiways, flight crew and passengers noticed smoke accumulating inside the cabin. The preliminary police investigation determined that the smoke originated due to a mechanical glitch from an on-board air conditioning system that overheated during its arrival to HKG.
The Airbus A330 landed at the airport at 9:53 a.m. Hong Kong Time (HKT).
Emergency Response
Once the plane landed, emergency police and fire services were called to the scene. The aircraft temporarily came to a complete halt on the taxiway to allow responding fire crews to conduct an initial safety inspection.
As the system cooled down, the smoke dissipated quickly and upon inspection, firefighters confirmed there was no active fire or ongoing smoke generation onboard. The aircraft was cleared to taxi under its own power to the South Apron parking bay. All passengers and crew members were successfully and safely evacuated from the plane through standard means rather than deploying emergency slides.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) confirmed that no injuries were reported, and the airport’s operations were not affected by this incident.
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