AirAsia cancels all flights to Hong Kong due to Typhoon Saola
AirAsia cancelled all of the flights to Hong Kong today, September 1, due to Typhoon Saola. Several routes in and out of Shenzhen, Macau, and Guangzhou have also been affected by these cancellations.
Typhoon Saola is forecasted to be one of the five most powerful typhoons to hit Guangdong province since 1949. With wind speeds exceeding 200 kilometres per hour, this formidable storm is currently tracking towards the southeast coast of China and is expected to make landfall in Hong Kong later this afternoon.
China yesterday issued a red alert, which is the highest level. In response, nurseries, educational institutions, and train routes heading towards Guangdong have been temporarily shut down to ensure the safety of the public.
Typhoon Saola impacted the northern part of the Philippines earlier this week. Fortunately, there have been no reported fatalities in the wake of this natural disaster.
As a result of the impending typhoon, several airlines have taken swift action to cancel their flights for the safety of both staff members and passengers.
AirAsia announced today that they were compelled to cancel all flights to Hong Kong, as well as select flights in three other cities: Shenzhen, Macau, and Guangzhou because Typhoon Saola had affected their operation.
The airline has committed to notifying all affected passengers via SMS or emails provided to the company. Additional information regarding the impacted flights can be accessed here.
AirAsia is also offering three compensation options to affected passengers, including changing the travel schedule, storing the credit in the airline’s membership system, or receiving a full refund.
Passengers wishing to reschedule their flights can do so without incurring any extra charges within 30 days of their original departure date. For those who choose to store their credit in the membership system, this credit will remain valid for two years.
Aside from AirAsia, Cathay Pacific cancelled all flights to and from Hong Kong between 6am today and 2am tomorrow.
HK Express has also announced the cancellation of 70 flights to and from Hong Kong on Friday and Saturday. Hong Kong Airlines cancelled more than 30 flights and the start-up airline, Greater Bay Airline cancelled 12 flights due to the typhoon.
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