Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will halt all flights for 36 hours this week as the city braces for Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the most powerful storms to hit the region in recent years.
Hong Kong International Airport/Jimmy Gu/Unsplash
36-hour flight suspension
All flights will be suspended from 6 pm on September 23 until 6 am on September 25, Bloomberg reported. While the airport will technically remain open, operations will be reduced to a minimum. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flagship carrier, has already announced the cancellation of more than 500 flights, with gradual resumptions expected from Thursday.
Safety measures in place
The Airport Authority Hong Kong has begun storm preparations, including:
- Securing apron areas and aircraft
- Coordinating with ground transport operators
- Ensuring staff rest facilities
- Maintaining passenger support services
The Civil Aviation Department has directed all inquiries to the airport authority.
Airlines Respond: Fee waivers for travellers
HKIA typically manages 1,000 flights and 190,000 passengers daily, serving 58 million travellers in the past year. With Cathay Pacific accounting for nearly half of the airport’s operations, the disruption is expected to be significant.
To ease the impact, Cathay Pacific has waived ticket change fees for passengers travelling between September 23–25. Other local airlines have followed suit, offering free rebooking options during the shutdown period.
Storm history and strength
The region is no stranger to typhoon-related closures. In September 2023, Typhoon Saola forced HKIA to halt flights for 20 hours, while Typhoon Wipha caused a 13-hour suspension in 2013.
Ragasa, however, is shaping up to be far stronger. The storm has intensified into a super typhoon with sustained winds of 143 mph—comparable to a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Source: Financial Express
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