Travellers heading through Hong Kong this week are set for major disruption, with around 700 flights cancelled from Tuesday evening as Super Typhoon Ragasa closes in on the city.
The Hong Kong Airport Authority warned services would be reduced from 6pm Tuesday, with operations unlikely to return to normal until Thursday morning. Winds up to 220km/h are expected to hit the city-state.
The airport authority’s director of service delivery Wing Yeung Tak-wing said that while all three runways and the terminal are currently set to stay open, airlines will decide individually if it’s safe to fly.
“We have maintained a close communication with the civil aviation department, which will approve a small number of timeslots for flight operations,” he remarked.
“We urge passengers to check with their airline companies on the latest update and only come to the airport after their flight is confirmed.”
According to the South China Morning Post, Cathay Pacific will cancel 500 flights, while HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines have cut 100 and 90 services respectively. HK-based carrier Greater Bay Airlines has also axed 16 flights to and from destinations including Taipei, Tokyo and several Chinese cities.
Meanwhile, Qantas has also suspended all services to Hong Kong for 36 hours, saying that it would contact affected customers.
To support stranded passengers, the airport is setting up a temporary rest area with snacks, water, charging points and extra seating. More than 1,000 staff will remain on site, and most shops and restaurants will stay open, some around the clock, SCMP reported.
With Typhoon Ragasa approaching, Cathay said “a number of flights scheduled to arrive and depart from Hong Kong International Airport on Tuesday, 23 September and Wednesday, 24 September have been affected”.
Among the affected services so far are long haul flights to Zurich, Los Angeles and New York (JFK).
In addition to these, “select flights departing Hong Kong in the morning and afternoon Tuesday 23 September; and all flights arriving in and departing from Hong Kong between 6pm on Tuesday, 23 September and 6am on Thursday, 25 September” are also impacted, Cathay added in an update on Monday evening.
“Based on the latest weather forecast and expected operating conditions, departing flights will resume progressively from Thursday morning.
“Further flight delays and cancellations may be required based on weather conditions and the typhoon’s path over the coming two days.”
Elsewhere, Hong Kong Airlines issued a ticketing update due to the cyclone.
“Due to Tropical Cyclone Ragasa, with immediate effect, special waiver will be honor for all tickets issued worldwide (irrespective of fare type) on/before 20 September 2025 for travel on Hong Kong Airlines (HX) flight with confirmed booking involving Hong Kong on 23-25 September 2025,” it stated.
For more information, Australians can contact hongkong.sydney@worldaviation.com.au.
Beyond aviation, wider transport links will also take a hit.
Hong Kong’s light rail and exposed heavy rail sections will stop when a ‘No 8’ (strong wind) warning is issued, with bus service cancellations to follow.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong airport has also advised that due to “inclement weather, ferry services on several routes at the SkyPier Terminal have been temporarily suspended”. These include the cross-boundary ferry services between Hong Kong and Guangdong and Macao.
“Limited routes remain in operation,” it adds.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Australians are leading the tourist charge and rekindling their love for Hong Kong, with Aussie visitation to the city-state up 32 per cent year-on-year for the first quarter of 2025.
