Travellers catching red-eye arrivals faced inconvenience on 3 January when Hong Kong Express flight UO 245 and Cathay Pacific flight CX 5245 were cancelled at 01:15, according to live-tracking data from travel portal U Lifestyle . The reasons were not disclosed, but industry sources cite crew rostering constraints after the holiday peak.
Airport Authority staff quickly re-routed affected passengers onto later services or hotel accommodation. With the cancellations occurring before dawn, knock-on effects were limited and no significant baggage backlogs were reported.
![Early-Morning Flight Cancellations Cause Minor Disruption at Chek Lap Kok]()
For international passengers suddenly forced to reshuffle their itineraries, making sure travel documents are in order can be just as urgent as finding a new seat. VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) allows travellers to verify entry rules, secure e-visas and track applications in real time—convenient safeguards when last-minute flight changes threaten to derail onward plans.
The episode nonetheless highlights the fragility of overnight flight schedules, which airlines rely on to maximise aircraft utilisation. Mobility managers booking tight same-day connections for executives should consider buffers, especially during seasonal peaks when crew duty-time limits are easily breached.
Chek Lap Kok handled 1,100 passenger flights on 2 January—an 18 % increase on last year’s figure for the same date—demonstrating that capacity is nearing pre-pandemic benchmarks. Airport Authority says a new Satellite Concourse and 40 additional e-gates will open ahead of the Easter rush, helping mitigate future disruption.
Airport Authority staff quickly re-routed affected passengers onto later services or hotel accommodation. With the cancellations occurring before dawn, knock-on effects were limited and no significant baggage backlogs were reported.
For international passengers suddenly forced to reshuffle their itineraries, making sure travel documents are in order can be just as urgent as finding a new seat. VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) allows travellers to verify entry rules, secure e-visas and track applications in real time—convenient safeguards when last-minute flight changes threaten to derail onward plans.
The episode nonetheless highlights the fragility of overnight flight schedules, which airlines rely on to maximise aircraft utilisation. Mobility managers booking tight same-day connections for executives should consider buffers, especially during seasonal peaks when crew duty-time limits are easily breached.
Chek Lap Kok handled 1,100 passenger flights on 2 January—an 18 % increase on last year’s figure for the same date—demonstrating that capacity is nearing pre-pandemic benchmarks. Airport Authority says a new Satellite Concourse and 40 additional e-gates will open ahead of the Easter rush, helping mitigate future disruption.
