A Cathay Pacific flight to Bangkok was forced to return to Hong Kong after take-off on Friday after a deadly earthquake that hit Thailand and Myanmar.

The powerful tremor left at least several people dead and dozens wounded in the two Southeast Asian countries.

According to flight tracking websites, CX751 took off at Hong Kong International Airport just after 3pm, and was near Hainan island when it made a u-turn. It landed at Chek Lap Kok just before 5pm.

The Airport Authority's website suggested the flight will set off again at 8.15pm on Friday.

"Other Cathay Pacific flights to and from Bangkok today (Friday) are expected to experience delays," the SAR flag carrier said. "We are assessing the situation and will keep our customers informed with the latest updates."

Another Bangkok-bound Cathay flight CX630 also returned to Singapore after take-off.

Other flights on Friday between the SAR and Thailand were unaffected, according to the Airport Authority.

Greater Bay Airlines said in a statement that services remain normal, while offering to change flights for passengers who have booked trips to and from Bangkok between Friday and Sunday.

Another local carrier, Hong Kong Airlines, cautioned that its flights to and from Bangkok "may be affected" due to the earthquake, advising passengers to check the latest information before heading to the airport.

"Hong Kong Airlines will waive all charges on rebooking, reissue and refund for all tickets issued for travel on Hong Kong Airlines flights with confirmed booking," it said.

Separately, the Travel Industry Council said there are around six Hong Kong tour groups in Thailand, consisting less than 100 people. All of them are safe, the council confirmed.
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Last updated: 2025-03-28 HKT 22:10