Super Typhoon Bavi: dozens of Hong Kong flights cancelled as storm nears Taiwan
More than 40 flights cancelled and 10 delayed as storm approaches Taiwan, but some carriers are offering special arrangements for affected passengers
Dozens of outbound flights from Hong Kong to Taiwan, mainland China and Japan scheduled for later this week have been cancelled due to Super Typhoon Bavi, with some local carriers offering special arrangements for affected passengers.
A South China Morning Post check found that more than 40 flights – operated by Cathay Pacific Airways, HK Express, Hong Kong Airlines, Greater Bay Airlines and EVA Air – had been cancelled and 10 delayed to Sunday. The affected routes span destinations ranging from Taipei to Okinawa.
Cathay Pacific, its budget arm, HK Express, and Hong Kong Airlines announced that they would waive ticket change fees for affected passengers.
The flight disruptions came as Bavi, named after a mountain range in Vietnam, moves towards the seas east of Taiwan. The Hong Kong Observatory said the storm was expected to later approach the coast of eastern China.
As of 8pm on Thursday, the maximum sustained wind speed near the super typhoon centre had reached 175km/h (109mph).
The wave of flight cancellations has affected trips to destinations such as Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Zhoushan on the mainland and Okinawa and Ishigaki in Japan. Most of the flights have been scheduled for Friday and Saturday.