HONG KONG— Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) has issued two separate apologies after one of its aircraft faced distinct technical issues on the same day (July 17, 2025). The incidents affected flights from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to Bangkok (BKK) and Kaohsiung (KHH), leading to significant delays and discomfort for passengers.
Flight CX705 to Bangkok was delayed nearly three hours after a technical fault disrupted the cabin air conditioning during boarding. The same aircraft was later assigned to CX458 bound for Kaohsiung but encountered a different technical issue, causing a further delay of 4.5 hours, SCMP reported.
Photo: By Melv_L – MACASR – https://www.flickr.com/photos/54943237@N04/33637427183/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81422463Two Cathay Pacific A330 Issues
Cathay Pacific confirmed that the two technical faults were unrelated. The morning disruption affected flight CX705, which was due to depart HKG for BKK at 8:00 AM.
Passengers were left waiting onboard without air conditioning for over an hour in the sweltering Hong Kong heat, where temperatures at Chek Lap Kok reached 35°C (95°F).
Following repairs, the same aircraft was assigned to flight CX458 to KHH, scheduled for 4:35 PM. However, it suffered another unrelated technical issue, requiring a swap to a different aircraft. CX458 eventually departed at 9:16 PM, over four hours behind schedule.
Cathay Pacific reiterated its commitment to safety, stating that “the safety of our customers and crew guides every decision we make.” The airline extended apologies to passengers on both flights and arranged for replacement aircraft to minimize further disruption.
Photo: Clément AlloingPassenger Experience and Social Media Reactions
Affected passengers were offered lounge access where eligible and meal vouchers for economy-class travelers.
Despite these gestures, social media users voiced frustration, highlighting that the aircraft, Airbus A330 in question, reportedly registered as B-LAE, had faced multiple mechanical problems earlier in the week.
Online accounts claimed the same aircraft had previously suffered issues on flights to Urumqi (URC) on Monday and Denpasar (DPS) on Tuesday. While Cathay Pacific did not confirm these reports, the mounting incidents have raised concerns about the maintenance status of the aircraft.
One passenger remarked that even the PA system was inoperative during the air conditioning failure, adding to the discomfort. However, the airline did not clarify how long passengers were left on board during the heat.
Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – Cathay Pacific, B-LXL, Airbus A350-1041, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87445090Operational Challenges
The extreme temperatures at HKG further exacerbated passenger discomfort during the delays.
The Hong Kong Observatory recorded some of the highest temperatures in the city at Chek Lap Kok that day, contributing to the intensity of the onboard experience without air conditioning.
While Cathay Pacific managed to mitigate the disruptions with replacement aircraft and compensation, repeated technical failures on the same aircraft within days have prompted passenger concerns over fleet reliability and maintenance practices.
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The post Two Cathay Pacific A330 Faced Technical Issues, Airlines Says Sorry appeared first on Aviation A2Z.
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