Hong Kong Airport To Suspend Flights For 36 Hours As Super Typhoon Ragasa Inches Closer: Report

The Hong Kong International Airport will suspend all passenger flights for 36 hours from Tuesday evening, news agency Reuters reported citing Qantas Airways. The Asian financial hub is preparing for one of its strongest super typhoons, named Super Typhoon Ragasa, in years.

Hong Kong’s Airport will be closed from 8 pm (1200 GMT) on September 23 to 8 am on September 25, Qantas said in a statement, adding that it would contact customers who are affected.

The Hong Kong International Airport will suspend all passenger flights for 36 hours from Tuesday evening, news agency Reuters reported citing Qantas Airways. The Asian financial hub is preparing for one of its strongest super typhoons, named Super Typhoon Ragasa, in years.

Hong Kong’s Airport will

be closed from 8 pm (1200 GMT) on September 23 to 8 am on September 25, Qantas said in a statement, adding that it would contact customers who are affected.

Airport Authority Hong Kong’s spokespersons told Reuters that they are closely monitoring the developments regarding Super Typhoon Ragasa. They have yet to make an official statement.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific said it expected to cancel more than 500 flights.

“Starting at 6:00 pm tomorrow, September 23, Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights arriving at and departing from Hong Kong International Airport will cease operations until resuming during daytime hours on Thursday,” a spokeswoman for the airline said at a Monday press conference.

“More than 500 flights are currently expected to be cancelled.”

The report by Reuters said that the weather is expected to deteriorate rapidly from Tuesday and gale-force to storm-force winds will impact the global financial hub and densely-packed city on Wednesday.

Winds are expected to reach hurricane force offshore and on high ground and residents were seen preparing for the super typhoon.

Photos shared by the news agency showed residents across the city stockpiling daily necessities on Monday morning. Long queues formed at supermarkets where products like milk had already sold out, while vegetables were being sold for more than triple their normal price at fresh markets.