Passenger dies after collapsing on Cathay Pacific flight from Manchester

A 51-year-old man died after collapsing onboard a Cathay Pacific flight from Manchester to Hong Kong on Friday morning.

The passenger lost consciousness after Flight CX216 had departed from Manchester for Hong Kong international airport.

Hong Kong police said they received a report at around 6.15am that a passenger had collapsed onboard the flight, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.

Cabin crew alerted Hong Kong’s air traffic control centre, which, in turn, notified emergency services.

Ambulances were dispatched to the tarmac and paramedics boarded the aircraft immediately after it landed at 6.53am and attempted resuscitation. However, the man was pronounced dead at the scene, the local news outlet HK01 reported.

The Independent has approached Cathay Pacific for comment.

In a statement to the South China Morning Post, a spokesperson for Hong Kong’s flag carrier said that “the crew and a doctor on board had provided immediate first aid to the victim” and confirmed that an ambulance was called and paramedics boarded the plane after it landed.

The airline said it had expressed condolences to the passenger’s family.

The victim was identified only by his surname Shen. Unnamed sources told HK01 he was an insurance broker who had emigrated to the UK with his family.

He had reportedly been feeling unwell throughout the journey. His wife, who was travelling with him, found him unresponsive around two hours before landing and promptly alerted the cabin crew.

Authorities were yet to confirm the cause of death. Police said that an autopsy would be conducted to determine the cause.