More oxygen bottles found tampered with on Cathay Pacific flights
By Danny Lee and Sum Lok-Kei
Hong Kong’s aviation regulator has demanded the heads of both Cathay Pacific Airways and Cathay Dragon improve security measures even further after three more cases of improperly deflated oxygen bottles on aircraft emerged on Friday.
“In view of the similar incidents that have occurred since the safety inspections were implemented, we have summoned the chief executives of both airlines to request security inspection procedures are further enhanced,” the Civil Aviation Department said in a statement.
The suspected sabotage of life-saving cabin equipment added to the problems faced by Hong Kong’s largest airline group, raising questions about the effectiveness of measures taken to stop it, and efforts to catch the culprits.
The latest incident occurred on September 16 on an Osaka-bound Cathay Pacific flight.
A portable oxygen bottle had its shut-off valve mistakenly opened during a routine check by cabin crew. The incident was reported to authorities and police as a precaution, the airline said without further elaboration.
In two previously undisclosed incidents, a bottle each was opened on two Cathay Dragon flights on September 1 and 4, from Da Nang and Kaohsiung respectively.
The troubled company had already been investigating three earlier cases for more than five weeks. After the most recent incident three weeks ago, it called in police and the CAD to investigate.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China was also investigating.
Crew members typically use the canisters to move around the cabin in the rare event of an emergency depressurisation.
“We have informed the CAD and police of six instances where some portable oxygen bottles stored on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon aircraft had been found to be in a low-pressure state,” an airline spokeswoman said in a statement.
“The issues were all identified during routine inspections that are carried out before and after every flight.”
A spokeswoman for the CAD said: “For reasons of aviation security, we are not in a position to disclose details.”
She added the regulator was “highly concerned” about the six cases.
Cathay Pacific strengthened security protocols for staff on flights in light of the mysterious tampering, checking cabin safety equipment every 60 minutes instead of before and after each flight.
Among earlier changes not previously disclosed, “transit teams” – who help refuel, handle luggage and clean the plane between arrival and departure – were also tasked with checking oxygen bottles, to narrow the accountability of people entering planes.
Richard Howell, general manager of group safety and operational risk management at the company, said: “Running a safe and secure operation is and always will be our greatest priority. We have robust pre-flight checks in place to identify any irregularities and to ensure all emergency equipment is serviceable so that the safety of our crew and passengers is upheld at all times.
“We have communicated with our cabin crew and employees the importance of maintaining impeccable safety standards at all times. There is no compromise in this area,” he added.
More flight attendants have been taken off flying duties after the latest revelations as part of the investigation, adding to about 40 crew members who were suspended when the earlier cases came to light.
Some crew members had been “fully cleared” and resumed flying duties, while an unknown number “continue to assist in the investigation,” the airline said.
Two flights which arrived in Toronto on August 17 and 18 were found to have five and eight discharged or partially discharged oxygen bottles respectively. Both flights used Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which carry 22 bottles each. The airline disclosed the incidents on August 27.
On August 30, an oxygen bottle was found emptied on a Cathay Dragon plane which had been left overnight at a remote parking stand at Hong Kong International Airport.
The CAD and police were contacted for comment.
Cathay Pacific has had to confront a sharp decline in customer numbers as anti-government protests deter people from travelling to the city, as well as pressure from Beijing over its stance on the protests – factors which have led to steep declines in business on mainland China routes.
The CAD and police were contacted for comment.
Cathay Pacific has had to confront a sharp decline in customer numbers as anti-government protests deter people from travelling to the city, as well as pressure from Beijing over its stance on the protests – factors which have led to steep declines in business on mainland China routes.
Was it sabotage, or previously undiscovered already endemic negligence or mismanagement ?
ReplyDeleteThese packs typically only get formal inspection only once a year.
Wakakakaka…
DeleteU said it ALL & yet u DON'T see!
"These packs typically only get formal inspection only once a year."
CP & Dragon air have been in operations for yrs. No such incidents happened before! Indicating their impeccable inspection records.
WHY now, in the high of the 废青 riots?
The next question is why no other airlines too, which also utilise HK airport!
It's the same as in the case of the recent MTR train derailment. HK MTR has an impeccable maintaining records that maintained zero derailment before.
WHY now?
Equipment aging?
Or wakakakakaka… previously undiscovered already endemic negligence or mismanagement!
Then what impeccable safety records r MTR/CP/Dragon air were showing?
U meant these mismanagements ALSO choose their timing to show their protests?
That only meant PEOPLE of the current standing!
Perhaps, u make yr money the old way.
So u don't understand modern workers, especially deranged minded one, in upsurging yr old money making machine bcoz of blinded ideological infusion.
Oooop… maybe u should examine the way HOW u have been indoctrinated too in yr demoncratic liberalism ubderstanding!
Many previously impeccable standards in Hong Kong have gone into slow, sometimes fast, decline since the Beijing CCP took over as the Boss.
DeleteShow proofs lah!
DeleteOr u r fitnah & kerbau-ing!
Just for yr selective rantings, HK has returned to China since 97. Within that 22yrs, the HK administration is still ran by the hkies & the service records shown impeccable improvement cf with those when under the pommie rules!
AGAIN, yr understanding of current HK affairs is still cocooned within that colonial period.
When have u last visiting HK & spenting considerable time to understand her sopo exhibitions.
Or u only interested in ensuring yr (ill)-gotten fund is safe & sound under HSBC?
It's just a matter of time before a REAL blood is been spilled!
ReplyDeletehttps://shuzheng.wordpress.com/
Murder under the umbrella
Right now the proChina r been targeted & picked individually with the spurious pressmen/medics & umbrella used as a covered-ups.
Soon the retaliations would result in the death of one/more of these 废青!
There r NO cries when the proChina were been attacked. HK/western medias mah - these attacks were justified in the name of pro-demoncracy defenses.
Bet my lunch that when the death of the 废青 during one of their riots is been made known, a locust of protests/denouncements would flood the world medias!
Time for a strongarmed involvement before more chaos r been planned!
shuzheng is a ccp cunt licker, not that diff with a ccp cock kisser. the diff is perhaps shuzheng cant even get his basic chinese right but often condemn those that cant read chinese, while u have the habit to show off chinese term n idiom which u have very little understanding wakaka, similar part is both r joker.
DeleteOui… yr cracked mirror shows u what?
DeleteAnother opprobrium fart of inconsequential?
U r a demoncratic cunt licker, not that diff with a pseudo-liberal cock kisser. The diff is perhaps shuzheng can unabatedly show off his basic chinese right while often condemn those that can't read chinese, while u shamed away from writing chinese terms n idioms after been proven u know NUTS about them!
U have the habit to parade yr demoncratic understandings which u have very little knowledge. Just like those Formosa f*cked-heads. I guess it's all in the same hive, since maggots will forever remain maggots within the decayed shits!
Wakaka, eat yr heart out le!
imitation is the highest form of flattery, so thanks, but everyone know u live under a democracy society, so when r u going to move yr ass n give up democracy?
DeleteU call that imitation?
DeleteMeet, just to show to u what it cracked mirror has shown & yet u refuse to see lah!
BTW, is Colombia a democratic society?
Emmmm… maybe better than that 你民我主 Formosa.
u r a hypocritical capitalist that wanna suck the poor blood dry n thats y u choose to work in those worst gini countries like ccp china n columbia. xi is no diff with yr dad send his daughter to harvard with a false name but telling the zombie how great is china, n thick face enough to tell the world china is a socialism society with second highest billionaire. u, yr dad n xi is hypo that malukan cina saja. so bila mahu ambil passport ccp?
DeleteStill playing yr one-liner pigeonholing fart er?
DeleteI'm honest enough NOT to link with yr silo definition of capitalist - vis-a-vis marketing economic is the sole proprietary concept of capitalism!
I go to the ground to work with the down&troddens with my own choosing!
AGAIN, what have u to prove, but yr 小民的智慧 displayed on the computer screen! Go & sell yr rotten garden egg to those impressionable blurs & hopefully u can have yr free orgy, just like those HK 废青.
So, who's a munafik?
Perhaps, die2 u still don't want to admit u r just those f*cked 岩里政男!
i believe there r great possibility tis was done by communist, they r infamous for either rule n ruin.
ReplyDeleteYa-loh, turncoat communists induced by tsai bitch with the help of that infamous NED fund.
DeleteThey r, indeed, infamous for either demoncratic rule & total ruin!