Pasengers were trapped onboard Cathay Pacific flight 883 from Los Angeles to Hong Kong for about 28 1/2 hours on August 4.
During final approach into Hong Kong, there was a “Black” rainstorm warning, forcing the aircraft to divert to Taipei – after around 14 hours in the air.
On August 4th, a flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong set a new record for the longest continuous time spent in an airplane cabin. The flight, CX883, was delayed due to a thunderstorm in Hong Kong and was diverted to Taiwan. Passengers spent nearly 29 hours in the cabin, waiting… pic.twitter.com/zLjJwlY1ha
— Fahad Naim (@Fahadnaimb) August 5, 2025
Cockpit view https://t.co/gnDCwaO5Gv pic.twitter.com/VTq1MFe8d0
— Fahad Naim (@Fahadnaimb) August 5, 2025
Upon landing in Taipei Taoyuan, passengers were stuck onboard for nearly 11 hours with no deplaning allowed. When the aircraft finally left Taiwan, it reached Hong Kong around 7:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, August 5 – roughly 28 1/2 hours of continuous cabin time for passengers.
Passengers onboard vented frustration over the lack of announcements and updates from crew along the way. Food and water were rationed, with no additional supplies available once initial meals ran out. Some described themselves as “being held against their will.” It’s unclear why deplaning in Taipei wasn’t permitted, but this seems like an extreme failure in contingency planning and communication.
Back in March, an American Airlines passenger called 911 trying to force their delayed flight to take off, and last June an American Airlines passenger, stuck on the ground on a plane in Dallas for three hours, reported being forced “to dial 911 for someone to help us get off [the] plane.” 911 said they were helpless.
Stories like this resonate with me because it was a plot point of L.A. Law‘s season 3, episode 10 “The Plane Mutiny.” Firm managing partner Douglas Brackman was trying to fly to Chicago to win a client. The flight went mechanical, and passengers sat in the aircraft for hours.
Brackman demanded to be let off the aircraft, so he could find another flight, but the captain put him in his place – threatening to shoot the lawyer.
But the woman sitting beside him on the plane had a cell phone. In the late 1980s! He asks to borrow it, and we pan to a lawyer from the firm appearing before a judge seeking an order to have the airline free the passengers off the aircraft. That works, the everyone is let off – and Brackman is arrested for interfering with flight crew and for use of a cell phone on the aircraft.
Brackman lands the client (they’re impressed by his resourcefulness and aggressiveness) and a date with the cell phone woman.
Fast forward a decade and a man with a cell phone on a delayed flight became a national hero. 198 passengers on board Northwest Airlines 1829 were famously delayed in January 1999. The flight had diverted, and then the next day sat on the tarmac in Detroit for 7 hours. Toilets overflowed, food and water ran out, the cabin filled with a stench, and passengers threatened to open an emergency door.
One passenger figured out how to dial the Northwest’s CEO at home. John Dasburg’s wife answered. Eventually the captain spoke directly to the CEO, and they got a gate and everyone finally made it off the aircraft.
The Goldsteins figured Mr. Dasburg must live in one of the nicer suburbs of Minneapolis. Mrs. Goldstein’s uncle lives in one of those suburbs, Edina, Minn. They called Edina directory assistance on their cell phone. To their amazement, they found a listing.
The doctor dialed at once and got Mary Lou Dasburg, the CEO’s wife, who said her husband wasn’t at home. “I’m currently on one of your husband’s planes in Detroit,” Dr. Goldstein, 35, said. “There are 30 planes on the ground here. He needs to know.” As the two talked, passengers in nearby rows leaned in to listen. According to Dr. Goldstein, Mrs. Dasburg promised to call flight operations herself to find out what was going on. (Mrs. Dasburg confirms the call.)
These passengers should have figured out how to reach Cathay CEO Ronald Lam at home.
Interesting… so… it turns out… Taiwan is a different country from the ‘mainland’ and now CCP-controlled Hong Kong. Also, hadn’t heard of ‘black’ rain before. Hmm. So much ‘hmm,’ here.
Wow that sounds awful. Surely there has to be a better way.
I was initially quite surprised because to me black rain means rain with radioactive fallout but after looking it up turns out black is just color of their highest classification of storm severity.
@1990 — Shots fired! We’re off to a running start this morning.
@L737 — Clearly, there’s a better way. (Like, respecting neighbors sovereignty, and also, deplaning and feeding your passengers if you’re going to hold them hostage for over 10 extra hours.) And, as far as the odd word-choices, if it’s ‘brown’ rain, is that… like… #2? And ‘yellow’ rain… #1?
@1990 — Imagine that! Also, regarding rain colors that randomly reminds me of the 2007 viral YouTube song “Cherry Chocolate Rain” by Tay Zonday.
I suspect not being able to get off had to do with the complexities of entering Taiwan and no airside space to put passengers. Thats out of airline’s control.
But there was zero reason that supplies could not be arranged for the airplane as well as services at some point. Even if they arrived at 2 AM they should have been able to find something 5 or 6 hours later. They operate long haul flights out of Taipei. They have catering!