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The Independent
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Three-year-old boy accidentally served wine on Cathay Pacific flight to London
A three-year-old boy was accidentally served a glass of white wine on a recent Cathay Pacific flight. The family were travelling in business class from Hong Kong to London on 24 April when the incident occurred. After taking a sip of the drink, which the boy believed to be water, he complained to his father, Mr Tsui, that it tasted sour. The child's father then sampled the drink and quickly realised that it was, in fact, white wine. The family immediately alerted a member of the cabin crew who reportedly apologised, removed the wine and replaced it with water, reports The Straits Times. Distraught, the boy's mother Ms Wong escalated the matter with a senior crew member, who identified an onboard doctor to assess the boy. The fellow passenger reportedly assured the boy's mother that the boy displayed no adverse symptoms and would be fine. Ms Wong shared her experience of the unsettling incident on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform. 'We understand that alcohol consumption in young children can have delayed neurological, developmental and physiological impacts that may not manifest immediately,' she said. She added that the family are in the process of arranging further medical assessments with paediatric specialists. According to reports, the airline offered to refund the child's ticket with three one-class upgrade vouchers and to cover the cost of medical check-ups. In an email to the family, the airline apologised to the couple for the incident, and offered to refund the child's ticket with three one-class upgrade vouchers and to cover the costs of medical check-ups. It added that it had conducted immediate coaching for all cabin crew to reinforce the importance of checking food orders before serving them. However, Ms Wong stated that Cathay Pacific did not offer a satisfactory account of why the incident occurred or how it would prevent similar events happening in future. 'During the whole process, there was a lack of care for my son,' she said. 'They gave me the impression that they were trying to shirk responsibility.' The boy's father later told media that the couple shared their experience online in an effort to raise awareness of child safety on flights. 'If a flagship Asian carrier can miss such basic safeguards in business class, every travelling family is at risk,' he said. In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for Cathay Pacific said: 'Cathay Pacific sincerely apologises for the incident in which an alcoholic beverage was mistakenly served to a minor on flight CX255 from Hong Kong to London on 24 April 2025. 'Out of an abundance of caution, immediately following the incident, our cabin crew paged medical personnel on board and consulted an independent medical agency to ensure the child's safety while providing the necessary assistance and support. 'Throughout the flight, our cabin crew regularly monitored the child's condition. The customers disembarked the flight as normal. 'We take this matter very seriously and have launched an internal review to ensure appropriate follow-up actions are implemented and goodwill is being offered. We will continue to support and assist the family.'
NDTV
07-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Airline Faces Backlash After Serving White Wine To 3-Year-Old In Business Class
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.
