Airline Faces Backlash After Serving White Wine To 3-Year-Old In Business Class

NDTV

07-05-2025

Quick Take
Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed.
A Cathay Pacific flight attendant served white wine to a child.
The incident occurred on April 24 on a flight from Hong Kong to London.
The boy's mother criticized the airline for lacking accountability and care.
Cathay Pacific Airways has come under fire after a flight attendant mistakenly served white wine to a three-year-old boy travelling in business class, sparking outrage and raising serious concerns about in-flight safety protocols.
The incident took place on April 24 during a flight from Hong Kong to London. The boy's mother, identified only as Ms Wong, shared her ordeal on the Chinese social media platform RedNote before speaking to the South China Morning Post. She accused the airline of failing to provide a clear explanation or take responsibility.
"Cathay has apologised, but there's been no proper account of how this happened or what steps are being taken to prevent such mistakes in the future," Ms Wong said. She added that the airline's handling of the situation showed a lack of care for her son.
While the child has not shown any immediate symptoms, Wong remains worried about possible long-term effects. "We know alcohol can have delayed impacts on a young child's development," she said, adding that she is arranging medical tests with specialists.
Cathay Pacific has confirmed the error and offered compensation, including a ticket refund, upgrade vouchers, and coverage of medical expenses, valued between Rs 75,000 and Rs 85,000. The airline said an internal review is underway. "We take this matter very seriously and are implementing follow-up actions," a spokesperson said.
The airline claimed its crew monitored the child during the flight and consulted both onboard medical staff and external advisors.
Ms Wong recounted that the glass of white wine was placed next to her son during meal service and was initially mistaken for water. It was only when the child complained of a "sour" taste that the parents realised the drink was alcoholic. The crew apologised and replaced the drink, but Wong was dissatisfied with their response and demanded medical attention for her son.
An onboard doctor examined the child and said there was no cause for concern, though the family remained uneasy. In a follow-up communication, Cathay said it had "immediately coached" cabin crew to double-check drink orders and alerted the flight's captain about the incident.
Meanwhile, an anonymous Cathay flight purser told SCMP that the incident reflects deeper issues within the airline, including rushed hiring and poor training. "This is not an isolated case - service standards have dropped, and protocols like marking napkins for children's drinks are often ignored," the purser alleged.
She also pointed out that while airlines have protocols, parents too must stay vigilant about what is served to their children during flights.