'Black warning' traps passengers on plane for 29 hours in 'flight from hell'

Passengers on Cathay Pacific flight 883 from Los Angeles to Hong Kong on August 4, 2025, were in for a shockingly long journey.

In what can only be described as a nightmare scenario, 294 passengers found themselves trapped on flight CX883, unable to disembark for nearly 29 hours.

It comes as UK passengers at Manchester Airport faced delays last week when flights were stopped after two easyJet planes clipped wings.

While the usual journey time from Los Angeles to Hong Kong is around 13.5 hours, those aboard flight CX883 ended up spending almost double that time on the Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 due to a 'black warning' in Hong Kong at the time of landing. This comes after a family was left stranded at Palma Airport, unable to board a Jet2 flight.

The Hong Kong Observatory issues a Black Rainstorm Warning during extreme weather conditions, indicating over 70 mm of rain per hour, increasing the risk of landslides, flooding, and severe disruption. In such circumstances, flights may be delayed, diverted, or even cancelled.

And that's precisely what happened with flight CX883, reports <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/news/passengers-stuck-inside-cabin-29-35730313" rel="Follow" target="_self">the Mirror</a>.

After departing from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 12:55am local time, nearly 300 passengers onboard the Cathay Pacific flight began their journey west across the Pacific.

After a gruelling 13 hours, the 15 year old Boeing 777 began its final descent into Hong Kong International Airport. However, due to severe weather conditions, a Black Warning was issued and flight CX883 was diverted to Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport, where it landed after a total of 15 hours and 33 minutes since departing from Los Angeles.

While Cathay Pacific regularly diverts flights to Taipei when landing in Hong Kong is not possible, what raised eyebrows was the airline's decision to keep passengers on board for an additional 10.5 hours, citing immigration restrictions and international laws.

This resulted in the aircraft being parked at various remote stands on the tarmac, according to Flightradar24. In fact, flight CX883 may have just set a new record for the longest time passengers have spent inside a commercial aircraft cabin.

Harrowing scenes from inside the flight were shared on social media platform Threads by aircraft engineer Fahad Naim (@mfahadnaimb). He captioned the post: "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 for the weather to clear. The flight finally landed in Hong Kong on August 5th, and passengers applauded the pilot for a safe landing."

Responding to a comment on his post, Fahad offered a glimpse into the conditions aboard the aircraft, stating: "I think the crew had it way harder because a lot of passengers were anxious and wanted to get off the plane. Plus, dealing with complaints and requests for food and drinks would make things even tougher for the flight attendants."

At one stage, Cathay Pacific was compelled to replace the pilots and cabin crew operating flight CX883, ensuring the team remained legally qualified to complete the final stretch of the marathon journey.

The flight eventually touched down at Hong Kong International Airport at 7:15pm local time on August 5 - a staggering 28 hours and 20 minutes after departing from the original airport (LAX).

Hong Kong's uncommon Black Rainstorm Warning was issued as the city endured over 350mm (13.8 inches) of rainfall within mere hours on August 5 - representing the territory's most serious weather alert and the highest documented daily precipitation in August since 1884 (when yearly rainfall records began being maintained).

The Mirror has approached Cathay Pacific for comment.