A Boeing 747-8 operated by Air China reportedly suffered a fuel leak at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport early on Monday, forcing the cancellation of the flight.

No injuries were reported in or around the aircraft, which was expected to operate flight CA982 from New York to Beijing that day. The leak is said to have occurred between 1am and 2am while the plane was parked at the gate, according to posts on Chinese social media.

Flight tracking data shows that B-2486 remains on the ground at New York JFK, and also confirms that CA982 was canceled on August 31, with the next Beijing-bound service leaving JFK the following night at 2:58 AM. Passengers were reportedly only told of the cancellation hours after the scheduled departure time, with Air China attributing the cancellation to "fuel guarantee."

The stricken Boeing 747-8 had landed at JFK on August 30 at around 9:45 PM local time ahead of a planned turnaround at 2:05 AM the next morning. While the Aviation Safety Network has classified the aircraft's damage as minor, it is unclear how much time the 747 faces on the ground before it can return to service. Air China will face an operational headache the longer it remains grounded, as the airline has only a handful of 747-8s available for passenger services.

As of September 2026, Air China is joined by Lufthansa, Korean Air and Rossiya as the last-remaining carriers to operate the 747 as a passenger aircraft. The Chinese flag carrier notably flies both the 747-400 and 747-8, and was one of only a handful of airlines to order the latter variant.

Boeing built just 48 passenger-configured 747-8s before shutting down the 747 program for good in January 2023, when the final freighter was delivered to Atlas Air. Air China also has two 747-400s left in its fleet, which are primarily used on domestic routes — these jets offer seating for up to 344 passengers across three cabin classes.

Source: South China Morning Post/Simple Flying