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A CURIOUS INCIDENT

Published: 14/12/2011 - Filed under: Editor's Note »

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The evacuation of 354 passengers and 19 crew members on a Cathay Pacific flight at Pudong Airport last Friday (December 9) – due to still unexplained smoke in the cabin – appears to have gone off seamlessly, with only nine people reported to have suffered minor injuries. Thank goodness for that.

The photos, splashed all over the Hong Kong dailies the next day, looked dramatic enough. Until one realised with incredulity that people were slithering down the inflatable slide with shoes on and shopping bags. Now, we know how those unfortunate nine received their bruises, probably when packages fell on their heads in the rush to collect personal goods from the overhead bins or toes got crushed in the scrum to exit.

When listening to all those safety procedures – hey, I do listen, and also to check out the creative ways try to present the spiel (remember the Cebu Pacific dancing safety demo?) – I do remember the outstanding mantra: leave everything behind and follow the lights along the aisle to the exit doors. Well, okay, I must admit that thinking if faced with a similar situation, what is it that I would realistically grab for? My passport and mobile phone. Forget, my beloved EE PC, no matter how light; that would be a luxury. 

Unless Cathay Pacific has re-written the rules on aircraft evacuation, I’m sure I’m not the only one curious about why what was allowed was allowed. It sets a dangerous precedent and casts a shadow over the renowned professionalism of CX's crew.

What happened, Cathay Pacific?

Margie T Logarta

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