Even the most literary-minded of us make pretty glaring
spelling mistakes from time to time — but probably not as embarrassing as this
one.
Spelling a word wrongly in an essay or on a job application
is one thing, but misspelling the name of your own airline on a massive
commercial jet is quite another. Unfortunately, Cathay Pacific had to learn
this lesson the hard way, as the Hong Kong-based airline accidentally painted
its name as “Cathay Paciic” on the side of one of its jets.
Vigilant travellers noticed the mistake at Hong Kong
International Airport, and dutifully contacted the airline. Taking the error
relatively well, Cathay Pacific laughed at itself on Twitter, joking, “Oops
this special livery won’t last long! She’s going back to the shop!”
While the airline insists it was a genuine mistake, others
in the industry are suspicious.
“The spacing is too on-point for a mishap,” an engineer for
Haeco, a sister company of Cathay Pacific, told the South China Morning Post.
“There should be a blank gap in between letters if it was a real mistake I
think.”
Whether it was a genuine mistake, an inside job, or foul
play, we can all appreciate the humour in such a rare, high-flying error.
For images, click here September 19, 2018