In a journey that appeared to defy the laws of time, Cathay Pacific Flight 880 departed from Hong Kong on January 1, 2025 and landed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on New Year’s Eve 2024.

ABC News reports that the flight took off from Hong Kong International Airport just after midnight on January 1, 2025.

How Cathay Pacific Flight 880 travelled back in time

Traversing the vast Pacific Ocean, the jetliner crossed the International Date Line about halfway through its 12-hour journey.

The crossing reversed the calendar by a day, allowing the plane to arrive in Los Angeles on December 31, 2024.

The flight touched down at LAX shortly before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, approximately 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

Passengers onboard effectively celebrated New Year’s Day twice, a rare temporal experience made possible by the interplay of time zones and international aviation.

Passengers love trans-Pacific flights to travel “back in time”

Passengers arriving at LAX were greeted with the festive hustle of New Year’s Eve celebrations, providing a unique end to their long-haul flight.

New York Post adds that this time-bending phenomenon is a regular occurrence for eastbound transpacific flights.

Over the years, passengers have been known to book eastbound trans-Pacific flights across New Year’s Eve to experience the holiday twice.

It highlights the fascinating quirks of global timekeeping, where a combination of speed, distance, and the International Date Line can seemingly transport passengers “back in time.”

December was dark month for airline industry

The drama-free Cathay Pacific flight gives a new lease of life to an airline industry that had a difficult ending in 2024.

In one of the worst airline disasters in recent times, nearly all 181 onboard Jeju Air Flight 7C 2216 died after it crashed at Muan International Airport in South Korea.

Only two crew members miraculously survived and were rescued from the Boeing 737-800’s tail section.