With the departure of Typhoon Wipha from the city, the Airport Authority has projected that the airport will handle 1,076 flights on Monday (Jul 21), expressing confidence in assisting all stranded passengers.
Smooth operations amid summer rush
Following the issuance of the Number 10 Hurricane Signal on Sunday (Jul 20), approximately 500 flights were canceled, affecting around 100,000 travelers.
To address the backlog, the Authority indicated that about 400 flights will be reallocated and gradually resumed.
Despite a bustling departure hall filled with travelers during the busy summer season, the Airport Authority reported that overall operations ran smoothly and in order this morning. Extra staff have also been deployed to assist travelers, and close communication with airlines will be maintained to ensure adequate staffing levels.
Confidence in handling delayed passengers
Victor Liu Chi-yung, Director-General of Civil Aviation, and Steven Yiu Siu-chung, the Airport Authority’s executive director of airport operations, inspected the airport this morning.
Yiu reported a high volume of departing planes and a restoration to normal runway capacity on the first day of normal operations following the storm. He expressed confidence in the airport to handle all delayed travelers by the end of the day.
Yiu acknowledged that the typhoon has presented more difficulties than in the past, particularly with summer vacation underway and a No. 10 hurricane warning that suspended all external transit to the airport.
Moreover, he expressed gratitude to airlines, MTR, and bus operators for their swift restoration of services following the typhoon, highlighting the cooperative efforts that made waiting times more comfortable for travelers.
In response to complaints about wait times for taxis at the airport and increased fares, Yiu stated that the industry had dispatched 800 taxis to the airport, resulting in an average waiting time of half an hour.
Delays affecting schedules of returning residents
A resident returning from Taipei reported that their flight, originally scheduled to arrive at midnight, was delayed until 4 am.
Another traveler, who planned a flight to Xi'an on Sunday (Jul 20), noted that they changed their air ticket as they noticed the worsening weather, viewing it as a prudent decision despite losing a day of travel.
Additionally, a resident picking up their daughter mentioned that they had to purchase a new ticket after the original flight was rescheduled to next Sunday (Jul 27) due to the weather conditions.
(Phoebe Poon)
