Premium

Airline serves white wine to three-year-old on Hong Kong-London flight, faces backlash

The airline addressed the error and said they have taken corrective measures.

The airline confirmed that the crew, upon learning of the situation, acted with caution by paging onboard medical personnel (Representative image/Pexels)

A Cathay Pacific flight attendant mistakenly served a glass of white wine to a three-year-old child travelling in business class, sparking outrage from the child’s parents. The incident took place on April 24 aboard a flight from Hong Kong to London and came to light when the child’s mother, identified by her surname Wong, posted about it on the Chinese social media platform RedNote, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Wong expressed deep concern over the health implications of her son accidentally consuming alcohol and criticised Cathay Pacific’s response. “Although Cathay has apologised to us about the mistake, it never gave us a proper account of the incident, nor did it show us how it will prevent it from happening again,” she told the SCMP.

“During the whole process, there was a lack of care for my son. They gave me the impression that they were trying to shirk responsibility,” she said.

Wong and her husband have not yet taken their son for a medical examination, but shared that he has shown no immediate signs of illness. “We understand that alcohol consumption in young children can have delayed neurological, developmental, and physiological impacts that may not manifest immediately,” Wong said, adding, “We are in the process of arranging comprehensive medical assessments with paediatric specialists.”

The airline addressed the error and said they have taken corrective measures. In a statement, a Cathay Pacific spokesperson said, “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.”

The airline also offered a refund for the child’s ticket, three single-class upgrade vouchers, and coverage for any related medical expenses. The total value of the compensation package is estimated to be between Rs 75,000 and Rs 85,000.

Also Read | Watch: Railway official spots snake in toilet on Rajdhani Express, chilling video goes viral

The airline confirmed that the crew, upon learning of the situation, acted with caution by paging onboard medical personnel and contacting an independent medical agency. “Throughout the flight, our cabin crew regularly monitored the child’s condition. The customers disembarked the flight as normal,” the spokesperson said.

Story continues below this ad

Wong shared that the incident unfolded during the dinner service. Her son was first served chicken and a glass of what appeared to be water. However, after taking a sip, the boy commented that the drink “tasted sour” and asked for more water. Upon tasting the beverage themselves, the parents realised it was white wine.

Wong alerted a flight attendant, who removed the glass and replaced it with water, apologising. Dissatisfied, Wong requested to speak with a senior crew member, who then escalated the issue, filing an internal report and contacting an in-flight medical advisory service.

A French doctor onboard examined the boy and assured the parents there was no cause for alarm. “Children as young as five could take alcohol in his country,” the doctor reportedly told Wong.

In a follow-up email dated April 26, Cathay Pacific informed the family that cabin crew had been given immediate coaching to ensure drink orders are double-checked. “The flight’s pilot was made aware of the situation during the flight, and appropriate internal measures are being taken,” the email stated.