Expected to make landfall on Sept. 23, Typhoon Ragasa is currently increasing in intensity as it heads past the Philippines and Taiwan and further toward the east coast of southern China.
With sustained winds of over 215 kilometers or 134 miles per hour, the powerful tropical storm is expected to be the worst of the year and has already prompted the evacuations of hundreds of people in several Asian countries.
As the typhoon nears the island, Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific is canceling all flights into its hub Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) for 36 hours.
The 36-hour shutdown has begun at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23, local time and is slated to last until 6 a.m. on Thursday, September 25, if weather conditions improve.
The shutdown also affects over 500 of both long-haul international and shorter regional flights across the region; the airport sees an average of 1,100 flights per day.
“Further flight delays and cancellations may be required based on weather conditions”
“Based on the latest weather forecast and expected operating conditions, departing flights will resume progressively on Thursday morning,” the airline said in a statement. “Further flight delays and cancellations may be required based on weather conditions and the typhoon’s path over the coming two days.”
The storm has been designated as a “super typhoon” and referred to as the “King of Storms,” and Hong Kong authorities have raised the storm warning to eight on a scale of 10.
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Airlines such as China Eastern, Hong Kong Airlines, Air China, Eva Air, and Cathay Pacific have all also canceled flights into Hong Kong International Airport.
The cancellations left thousands of travelers with booked flights in or out of the city stranded across different cities in Asia. Flights into Shenzhen International Airport (SZQ) in southern China have also been called off as the typhoon nears.
“Due to inclement weather conditions, passengers are advised to contact the airline for the latest flight information or check with the airport’s website before departing for the airport,” Hong Kong International Airport currently states on its website.
Throughout the airport, officials have established emergency rest areas equipped with water and snacks for passengers stranded overnight.
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier and main airline of Hong Kong.
Image source: Shutterstock
Flight booked to Hong Kong? Here is what you need to know about the flight shutdown
For those with booked Cathay Pacific flights, an airline statement says they “will receive flight updates via SMS, email, and the Cathay Pacific app.”
Statements from both the airport and Hong Kong government representatives reminded travelers to check for the latest flight updates online before going to the airport, as transportation from the city could be cut off unexpectedly.
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On the morning of Sept. 23, bus service between Hong Kong and the southern Chinese province of Guangdong was suspended as wind speeds intensified.
“The public transport services to and from the airport may also be affected,” Hong Kong Airport further states on its website. “Passengers are advised to allow sufficient travel time to and from the airport.”
Travelers with booked flights are also encouraged to check that the contact information attached to their booking is current, so they do not miss updates from the airline once flights start resuming.
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