A man faces the threat of life imprisonment after he was arrested on suspicion of attempting to open the emergency exit of a Cathay Pacific plane flying from Boston with as many as 334 passengers on board as it made its final approach for landing.
Man Arrested For Attempting To Open Emergency Exit
The incident occurred on Thursday morning as Cathay Pacific flight CX-811 from Boston Logan International Airport was approaching the end of its mammoth 12:30-hour flight to Hong Kong.
According to airline sources, the 20-year-old man, who is said to be from mainland China, rushed one of the emergency exits while the flight attendants were preparing the cabin for arrival.
The Airbus A350-1000 aircraft was already well into its descent for landing when the man lunged for the door handle, attempting to open the door before he was frantically pulled away by crew members.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Cathay Pacific confirmed the terrifying incident, saying: “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 spokesperson added: “No crew members or passengers were injured.”
Suspect Faces Threat Of Life Imprisonment
On arrival, the Hong Kong Police were already waiting for the plane and the man was arrested and taken into custody.
Officials have stated that the man has been arrested for offenses under the Aviation Security Ordinance.
This law states that under Section 9 (1) it is illegal for:
Any person who unlawfully and intentionally—
(a)destroys an aircraft in service or so damages such an aircraft as to render it incapable of flight or as to be likely to endanger its safety in flight; or
(b)commits on board an aircraft in flight any act of violence which is likely to endanger the safety of the aircraft
This law further states that the maximum sentence that can be handed down to someone found guilty under this section is life imprisonment.
Why An Emergency Exit Can’t Be Opened At Cruising Altitude
When a plane is at cruising altitude, it is effectively impossible to open the emergency exit, no matter how hard you try. This is due to the difference in pressure between the inside of the cabin and the much thinner outside air, which creates a plug-like effect, making the door air-tight.
At lower altitudes where the difference in pressure isn’t so great, it is, however, possible to open an emergency exit in-flight on some aircraft types.
Perhaps the most famous example of this happening was in May 2023, when a passenger on an Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 managed to activate an unattended emergency exit as the plane was on final approach for landing in Daegu.
Thankfully, some larger aircraft are also equipped with so-called ‘speed locks’ that mechanically lock the emergency exit shut when the plane reaches a certain speed, ensuring the door can’t be accidentally or deliberately opened in-flight.
Flight From Boston Overflew Russia
Cathay Pacific flight CX-811 uses what is known as the ‘Polar Route’ to make the flight time from Boston to Hong Kong as short as possible. This involves flying far north over the Arctic and using the curvature of the Earth to cut the flight distance.
This route also, however, involves utilising Russian airspace.
In the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Cathay Pacific voluntarily stopped using Russian airspace despite the fact that it wasn’t subject to sanctions that prevented this.
By November 2022, however, Cathay Pacific was back overflying Russia, with a spokesperson at the time noting that the airline always complied with relevant restrictions.
Cathay Pacific Could Be Banned From Using Russian Airspace
If President Trump has his way, though, Cathay Pacific could be banned from overflying Russia on flights to and from the United States.
In October, Trump suggested that Chinese airlines could be barred from using Russian airspace, as it was creating an unfair advantage in terms of shorter flight times and lower operating costs.
The proposed ban was set to hit mainland Chinese carriers, although United Airlines urged the administration to extend the ban to Cathay Pacific.
As of today, the US Department of Transportation has not moved forward with its plan to ban Chinese carriers from using Russian airspace.
Bottom Line
A man faces the threat of a lengthy prison sentence after he allegedly tried to open an emergency exit of a Cathay Pacific plane flying from Boston Logan Airport.
Although it’s unlikely that the man would ever have succeeded in opening the door, his actions could still have damaged the emergency escape slide and door opening mechanism.
