Hong Kong ( CNN ) Cathay Pacific was forced to cancel a scheduled flight from London to Hong Kong after one of the pilots was arrested after trying to board the airliner with knives in his luggage . The pilot , who has not been identified , was stopped during security checks as the flight prepared to depart on Saturday night , the Metropolitan Police said in a statement Monday . `` At around 21:10 hours police at Heathrow Airport were called to a staff search area . `` Officers attended and subsequently the member of flight crew , a man , was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and possession of a knife blade / sharp pointed article in a public place . '' He was then taken into custody at a local police station where he was later bailed and ordered to return in May pending an investigation , the police statement added . Cathay Pacific , which is headquartered in Hong Kong , told CNN in an email that it would cooperate with authorities , but that it was unable to provide further details as the incident is being investigated by police . It apologized to the 262 people on board Flight CX254 , which eventually departed on Sunday , adding that it assisted passengers with overnight accommodation in London and alternative flight arrangements . Passengers were forced to wait in the seats on board the Boeing 777 for more than two hours before the service was canceled . `` They just told us there were crew issues . The captain said 'apologies for everything that has happened ' . He said they tried to get another pilot but they could n't get there on time , '' one passenger on the flight told the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post .
Pilot stopped during security checks as the flight prepared to depart on Saturday night . Cathay Pacific runs regular flights between its London hub and Hong Kong . The male pilot has been bailed pending an investigation .