FILE: A Cathay Pacific aircraft taxis toward the runway at San Francisco International Airport.
Robert Alexander/Getty Images
Cathay Pacific 870 underwent multiple diversions before ultimately arriving at another California airport over 300 miles from its intended destination.
Article continues below this ad
However, when up against a bomb cyclone that smashed the Bay Area, any flight into SFO was met with extensive delays. CPA870 was scheduled to land in San Francisco at 9:45 a.m., but SFO’s flight schedule was in upheaval. The FAA on Sunday reported that departures to the airport were delayed an average of nearly four hours due to the atmospheric river pounding the state.
A spokesperson for Cathay Pacific confirmed to SFGATE that CPA870 endured several diversions as it attempted to land in San Francisco. The flight was first diverted to Oakland International Airport, where it waited on the tarmac for about four hours. The aircraft refueled and the spokesperson confirmed that the passengers waited on the aircraft while at OAK.
After SFO gave the go-ahead to hop over the Bay, the flight took off, but conditions at SFO worsened immediately. CPA870 circled over the Bay Area before deciding on its final destination.
The plane traveled south to Los Angeles International Airport, arriving at 3:40 p.m.
Article continues below this ad
By the time passengers deboarded CPA870, they had been on the flight for over 18 hours and arrived at an entirely different airport hundreds of miles away from their destination.
