Some lucky passengers will experience the New Year twice as they board a flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles that crosses the International Date Line (IDL). The unique journey will see the plane take off in 2025 and land back in 2024.
A Time-Travel Experience
The International Date Line, an invisible boundary running through the Pacific Ocean, marks the transition between two consecutive calendar days. Travelers heading east lose a day, while those heading west gain a day.
In this case, passengers departing from Hong Kong in the early hours of New Year’s Day will touch down in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve, giving them the rare chance to celebrate the New Year twice.
Twice the Festivities
Those aboard the Cathay Pacific flight will land in Los Angeles around 8 p.m. local time on December 31, 2024. This provides an entire evening to join in New Year’s Eve celebrations once again.
The National Ocean Service described the phenomenon, stating, “When you cross the date line, you become a time traveler of sorts! Cross to the west and it’s one day later; cross back and you’ve ‘gone back in time.’”
Global New Year’s Celebrations
As the world ushers in 2025, celebrations are underway across the globe. In London, the iconic fireworks display over the Thames River is set to proceed despite weather concerns. A spokesperson for the event assured that ticket holders and millions of viewers worldwide could look forward to a spectacular show.
For those who love to keep the party going, this “time-traveling” flight is a perfect way to ring in the New Year twice.
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