Tens of thousands of passengers have been affected as Bavi, the biggest typhoon in years which is sweeping towards Taiwan, has forced airlines across eastern Asia to cancel or reschedule more than 180 flights.
Bavi, currently about 1,000km at its widest point or roughly the width of France, is forecast to skirt northern Taiwan before making landfall in China’s eastern Fujian province on Saturday evening on 11 July, according to China’s National Meteorological Centre. The typhoon is expected to weaken into a tropical depression by Monday morning.
East Asia-bound flights cancelled in Singapore
The Straits Times reported that Singapore Airlines and its low-cost subsidiary Scoot cancelled at least 18 flights to and from Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul and Sapporo as Super Typhoon Bavi approaches Taiwan and eastern China.
A total of 16 flights scheduled for July 10 and 11 have been cancelled, including Scoot services between Singapore and Tokyo’s Narita Airport, Seoul and Sapporo via Taipei, as well as four Singapore Airlines flights between Singapore and Taipei.
More than 15,000 passengers affected in Japan
Japan Times reported multiple flight cancellations by Japanese airlines that affected more than 15,000 passengers.
Japan Airlines had cancelled 48 domestic flights and two international flights scheduled for Friday, 10 July, while All Nippon Airways would cancel 34 flights mainly serving Okinawa’s Ishigaki and Miyako airports on 10 July, with 33 further domestic flights set to be cancelled on Saturday, 11 July.
Ferry operations linking Okinawa Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture, as well as those connecting Okinawa’s remote islands, are also cancelled for Friday and Saturday.
More than 50 flights cancelled or delayed in Hong Kong
Dozens of outbound flights from Hong Kong to Taiwan, mainland China and Japan originally scheduled for later this week have been cancelled, with some local carriers offering special arrangements for affected passengers.
South China Morning Post reported that more than 40 flights – operated by Cathay Pacific Airways, HK Express, Hong Kong Airlines and Greater Bay Airlines – had been cancelled and 10 delayed to Sunday 12 July. The affected routes span destinations ranging from Taipei to Okinawa.
Cathay Pacific, its budget arm, HK Express, and Hong Kong Airlines have announced that they will waive ticket change fees for affected passengers.
Most powerful typhoon
If Bavi maintains its forecast intensity, it would be the most powerful typhoon to affect the region since Super Typhoon Kong-rey in 2024, according to commercial weather forecasting service AccuWeather said.
Scientists have warned that climate change is contributing to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, leaving eastern Asia increasingly vulnerable to powerful storms.
Photo credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison
