Flights at Hong Kong’s airport will be heavily disrupted for 36 hours from Tuesday evening to Thursday morning due to Super Typhoon Ragasa, with flagship carrier Cathay Pacific expected to cancel over 500 flights.
There will be a “significant reduction of landing and departure” of aircraft from 6pm on Tuesday, and most “flight movements” will be affected on Wednesday, Wing Yeung, the Hong Kong Airport Authority’s director of service delivery, told reporters on Monday.
The Airport Authority will work with airlines, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), and the Civil Aviation Department to resume airport operations when the weather improves, Yeung added.
Speaking at the same media briefing, representatives from Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Express, Hong Kong Airlines and Greater Bay Airlines said that affected passengers would be able to reschedule their flights for free.
Yeung also emphasised that the airport would remain open during this period. Chairs, charging outlets and “basic supplies” will be available for stranded travellers, and restaurants will operate normally, with some even running 24 hours.
Airline arrangements
Cathay Pacific flights will be suspended from 6pm on Tuesday onwards and will gradually restart during the day on Thursday, said Keri Lui, head of Hong Kong International Airport at Cathay Pacific.
Over 500 Cathay Pacific flights – including regional and long-haul flights – are expected to be cancelled.
HK Express, Cathay’s budget subsidiary, said that four of its flights scheduled for Tuesday would depart earlier and that over 100 flights would be cancelled between Tuesday and Thursday.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong Airlines said it would axe flights between 6pm on Tuesday and 6am on Thursday.
Greater Bay Airlines said its flights scheduled after 6pm on Tuesday and at any time on Wednesday would be “delayed or cancelled.”
As of noon on Monday, Ragasa – Filipino for rapid or fast motion – was located about 890 kilometres southeast of Hong Kong, gradually moving across the Luzon Strait and entering the northern part of the South China Sea, according to the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO).
Ragasa is poised to become the strongest storm the city has seen since Mangkhut in 2018.
T8 as early as 1pm Tuesday
The T1 warning signal is currently in effect. The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) expects to raise the warning to T3 at 9.40pm on Monday and to T8 between 1pm and 4pm on Tuesday.
Ragasa is projected to be closest to Hong Kong on Wednesday morning when high winds and flooding are expected. The sea level in coastal areas may be similar to that seen during super typhoons Hato in 2017 and Mangkhut in 2018.
According to the government, its emergency support centre is making advanced preparations to brace for the incoming storm, with the Drainage Services Department clearing drains at around 240 locations which are prone to flooding.
The Fire Services Department, the police force, the Civil Aid Service, and the Auxiliary Medical Service are also on standby, the government said.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has called off its races on Wednesday due to Ragasa.
