Hong Kong International Airport is expecting major flight disruptions starting Tuesday as the city braces for Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest storms in years.
Safety first: All flights to be halted
All flights will be stopped from 6 pm on September 23 until 6 am on September 25, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. While the airport itself will remain open, the number of flights will be sharply cut down. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s main airline, said it will cancel more than 500 flights and will gradually resume operations on Thursday, reported Bloomberg.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong has already started preparing for the typhoon. Measures include ensuring apron safety, flight operations, passenger care, ground transport between the airport and the city, and staff rest areas. The Civil Aviation Department referred inquiries to the airport authority.
Impact on airlines and passengers: Cathay waives ticket change fees
The airport handles on an average of 1,000 flights and 190,000 passengers daily, serving 58 million travelers in the past year, the report added. Cathay Pacific operates about 45% of these flights, so the storm will hit it hard. Cathay has waived ticket change fees to make it easier for travelers to adjust plans. Other local airlines have also removed penalties for travel between September 23 and 25.
Hong Kong faced a super typhoon in September 2023, when Typhoon Saola stopped all flight operations for 20 hours, a Bloomberg report said. Storm Wipha had also forced a 13-hour closure in airport services in the year 2013. According to latest developments, what started as a storm, has already turned into a super typhoon with winds of 143 mph, which is similar to a category 4 hurricane.