At least 700 flights were due to be cancelled from Tuesday evening 23 September in Hong Kong due to Typhoon Ragasa as reported by The South China Morning Post.
The weather is expected to deteriorate rapidly from Tuesday, and gale-force to storm-force winds will impact Hong Kong on Wednesday, with winds expected to reach hurricane force offshore and on high ground.
The powerful super typhoon is set to continue smashing the Philippines as it makes its way towards mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Hong Kong was hit Typhoon Wipha in July which also resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
Cathay Pacific Airways said it cancelled 500 flights starting the morning of 23 September until Thursday, 25 September, while its budget arm HK Express would axe 100. Hong Kong Airlines would cancel around 90 flights, while Hong Kong-based carrier Greater Bay Airlines cancelled at least 23.
Cathay said that the storm would “have a significant impact”, but it would have sufficient resources in place to resume flight operations once it passed. “We are positioning some of our aircraft away from Hong Kong and expect a staggered and gradual resumption to our schedule throughout Thursday into Friday,” it said.
Airport closed
Hong Kong’s Airport will be closed from 8pm on Tuesday 23 September to 8am on 25 September as reported by CNA.com that quoted Qantas as the source of this information. However, the Airport Authority said that all three runways and the terminal building at the airport would remain in operation despite the adverse weather, but it was up to individual airlines to decide whether it was safe to continue flight operations.
The Airport Authority stressed that all three runways and the terminal building would remain in operation despite the adverse weather, but it was up to individual airlines to decide whether it was safe to continue flight operations. The weather was expected to improve late Wednesday or on Thursday, and that normal operations would resume as soon as possible.
Some 4,000 officers from the disciplined services are on standby for emergencies at the airport. More than 1,000 staff members will be staying at the airport to serve passengers, with shuttle buses arranged for them. A temporary resting area would be set up, providing snacks, water, charging spots and seats for passengers stranded at the airport.
All high-speed railway services will be suspended from 6pm on Wednesday and for the whole of Thursday. Services before that will also be partially disrupted.
Other flight cancellations
Shenzhen’s airport also experienced extreme disruptions, with 385 flight cancellations and 60 delays. China Southern Airlines reported 202 cancellations while China Eastern Airlines faced 66 cancellations.
Guangzhou recorded over 340 flight cancellations and 113 delays. China Southern Airlines faced 160 cancellations.
Singapore Airlines had cancelled as many as a dozen flights to and from Hong Kong due to the adverse weather conditions. Two more flights between Singapore and Shenzhen on Tuesday and Wednesday have also been cancelled as well. Scoot confirmed that eight upcoming flights had been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
Qantas has suspended all flights to and from Hong Kong for 36 hours. At least eight flights in and out of Sydney and Melbourne have been impacted. The airline will monitor the situation over the coming hours to determine whether they can resume operations from Thursday.
Emirates said it had cancelled all flights from Dubai to Hong Kong until Thursday, as well as its shuttle service between Hong Kong and Bangkok on Tuesday and Wednesday. Flights between Dubai and Shenzhen are also cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday. More than a dozen flights are impacted.
Customers connecting through Dubai with final destinations Hong Kong and Shenzhen will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice, the airline said.
Qatar Airways has also cancelled all flights between Doha and Hong Kong, while its cargo services from Doha to Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen are also affected. Six flights are affected.
United Airlines also faced five cancellations.
The chaos at the affected airports in Hong Kong and Southern China must be overwhelming but these are airports that are managed efficiently and they have experienced such circumstances before. It must be a stressful time for travellers but ground crews are working tirelessly to assist them in the best way possible.
