Hong Kong Airport manages flight disruptions and diversions as typhoon Tapah brings severe weather

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) expects to handle about 800 flights today as the Flight Rescheduling Control System is used in response to Tropical Cyclone Tapah. With severe weather continuing to disrupt operations, around 100 flights are expected to be cancelled.

By 1000hrs, 20 flights had been diverted to other destinations due to crosswinds. Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) is coordinating with airlines, government departments and the airport community. The Airport Emergency Centre remains operational.

AAHK advises passengers to check with their airlines for the latest updates and to go to the airport only when their seats and flight times are confirmed. Passengers can also use HKIA’s website or the “My HKG” mobile app for information.

Despite the typhoon, operations ran smoothly last night. Between 0001hrs and 0430hrs, 40 flights landed. AAHK stayed in close contact with the Civil Aviation Department and airlines, while Immigration and other departments increased manpower for arrivals and departures.

Transport support was also provided. MTR Corporation added two Airport Express services and extended operations to 0130hrs. AAHK’s Taxi Queue Ticket System worked well, allowing passengers to collect queue numbers from kiosks or a mobile app. After the last train left, about 200 passengers queued for taxis and all had departed by 0400hrs.

A temporary rest area was set up with 500 chairs, mobile charging stations and other facilities. Extra staff assisted passengers and distributed bottled water, snacks and blankets. Several restaurants and convenience stores stayed open through the night, with some running 24 hours.

More than 1,000 staff remained on duty overnight. To support them, AAHK opened two rest centres with space for over 400 employees and arranged a shuttle bus between the airport and Tung Chung MTR station.

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