Hong Kong International Airport is expected to close for 36 hours beginning on Tuesday, as the city braces for one of its strongest typhoons in recent years.
Super Typhoon Ragasa is expected to close its distance and peak in Hong Kong on Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. The storm has been dubbed as the strongest in the world so far this year, and although it’s expected to weaken by the time it nears Hong Kong and Mainland China, the storm will still be one of the strongest in the region’s recent history.
According to Bloomberg, Hong Kong Airport will begin its closure at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and will stay closed until 6 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Cathay Pacific has issued a travel waiver for flights in and out of Hong Kong. All tickets issued before Sept. 21 with an original travel date between Sept. 23 and Sept. 25 are eligible for changes without rebooking and refund fees. Tickets must be changed before Sept. 25.
The airline expects over 500 flights to be canceled due to the weather, and is repositioning some aircraft away from Hong Kong to avoid the storm. The carrier adds that it expects to have sufficient resources to begin operations once the typhoon passes.
As of Tuesday morning local time, Hong Kong airport is still operational, handling departures and arrivals. These operations will dwindle quickly as the typhoon, seen in the image above, closes in on the city. Residual delays should also be expected on Thursday, after the typhoon passes.
Featured image by Fengianum, Shutterstock.
