A 51-year-old man has died aboard a Cathay Pacific flight travelling from Manchester to Hong Kong after suffering a medical emergency on the aircraft. The passenger, identified by local reports as Mr Chen, was taken ill on flight CX216, which departed Manchester Airport at 11:04 BST on Thursday and landed at Hong Kong International Airport at 6:53 HKT on Friday (11:53 BST Thursday).
Emergency response
Hong Kong police confirmed receiving a report from air traffic controllers at approximately 6:15 local time that a passenger had collapsed on board, according to the Hong Kong Free Press. A post-mortem examination is currently under way to determine the cause of death.
Passenger background
HK01 reported that Mr Chen was an insurance broker who had relocated to the UK with his family. He had been diagnosed with cancer in mid-2023 and was making regular trips between Hong Kong and the UK for medical appointments and business purposes.
According to HK01, Mr Chen informed his wife he was feeling unwell during the flight, and she checked on him at regular intervals. She reportedly discovered he had become unresponsive approximately two hours before the plane landed, as reported by the Mirror.
Airline statement
In a statement to the South China Morning Post, a Cathay Pacific spokesperson said that "the crew and a doctor on board had provided immediate first aid to the victim." The spokesperson further confirmed that an ambulance was called and paramedics boarded the aircraft upon landing.
