Water salute marks Cathay Pacific’s first flight to Changsha

It’s a cool November morning at Changsha Huanghua International Airport. From Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific’s Airbus A321neo operating flight CX968 touches down and taxis towards the airport terminal. Then, in a flourish of tradition, fire engines arc twin streams of water over the aircraft – a ceremonial salute marking the inaugural flight.

Water salutes have long signified aviation milestones: first and last flights, the introduction or retirement of aircraft types, even farewells for long-serving pilots. Think of this visually impressive display as the industry’s guard of honour – akin to a flower or sword arch at weddings.

“It’s a big tradition with quite a history,” says Line Operations Manager Captain Tony Pringle.

It goes without saying that safety is central to the ceremony. Fire engines pack serious power, so it’s essential that jets are angled skywards, and not towards the aircraft, to avoid any potential damage.

Operators must also make sure that the engines are set to deploy water instead of corrosive firefighting foam, recalling an unfortunate mix-up that has occasionally befallen other airlines.

However, rest assured that Cathay Pacific’s safety-first approach ensures smooth, risk-free salutes.

“At Cathay Pacific, we carry out risk assessments and are prescriptive about how salutes are conducted,” says Captain Pringle.

While they’re used for a variety of celebrations, it’s new routes that most often get the honour, as lucky passengers on inaugural flights to Changsha, Dallas-Fort Worth and Urumqi have discovered in recent months.

And with plenty more destinations on the horizon, expect to see a few more arches glittering in the sun soon.