Special flight passengers celebrate New Year twice

Passengers on several special flights enjoyed the rare experience of celebrating the New Year twice by crossing the International Date Line, entering 2026 and then returning to 2025.

Aviation data platform OAG said 14 passenger aircraft took off on January 1, 2026, and landed at their destinations on December 31, 2025. One notable flight was Cathay Pacific CX880, a Boeing 777, which departed Hong Kong at 12:34am on January 1 and landed in Los Angeles at 9:28pm on December 31 after crossing the date line.

As a result, passengers celebrated the New Year once mid-air and again in Los Angeles on the same day. The rare phenomenon was made possible by time differences and the International Date Line.

Netizens described the experience as real-life time travel. United Airlines also shared greetings for passengers on social media, noting that a slight delay gave them even more time to celebrate twice.