Who doesn’t find the concept of time travel fascinating? Reliving your childhood through time travel would undoubtedly be one of life’s greatest blessings. Throughout history, people have always hoped to discover methods of time travel.
Let’s discuss a narrative where time travel occurred organically today. On a Cathay Pacific aircraft, passengers had the opportunity to celebrate New Year’s two times! Technically, flight CX880, which took off from Hong Kong and arrived in Los Angeles, traveled back in time. It arrived in Los Angeles in 2024 after leaving Hong Kong in 2025. The “date line effect,” an uncommon occurrence, allowed passengers to enjoy not one but two remarkable New Year’s celebrations.
A little after midnight on January 1, 2025, local time, the Boing 777-300ER departed Hong Kong International Airport. The aircraft landed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 8:30 p.m. on December 31, 2024, 16 hours behind Hong Kong, following a 12-hour voyage that crossed many time zones.
This apparent “time travel” was made possible by the International Date Line (IDL), an invisible line that intersects the Pacific Ocean between the North and South Poles. When one calendar day finishes and another begins is indicated by the IDL. By crossing the line from west to east, travelers effectively gain a day, creating the illusion that they are going back in time. Because of this phenomenon, the lucky passengers on Flight CX880 were able to celebrate the New Year two times.
