Hundreds of flights, including Scoot’s, cancelled as typhoon bears down on Okinawa, S-E China

TOKYO – An approaching typhoon has forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights in and out of the subtropical island of Okinawa – including Singapore’s Scoot’s – as Japan’s holiday period draws to a close. 

ANA and Japan Airlines cancelled a total of 279 flights affecting 41,688 people due to storm Saudel, which is expected to bring strong winds and high seas to the area from the night of Aug 25 to the morning of Aug 26.

Okinawa, which hosts several US military bases alongside its popular beach resorts, attracts more than 10 million visitors a year. 

ANA said all its flights to and from the airport in the regional capital of Naha will be cancelled on Aug 26. Some ferry services are also cancelled. 

The Japan Meteorological Agency said winds may reach speeds of up to 40m per second. After crossing Okinawa prefecture, the storm is expected to move westwards, hitting the coast of China later in the week.

Saudel is forecast to hit the coast in the south-eastern Chinese province of Fujian from late Aug 27 to early Aug 28.

Scoot, the budget arm of Singapore Airlines, said on Aug 25 that it had cancelled or retimed several of its flights.

Flights TR834 from Singapore to Okinawa on Aug 26 at 2.15am and TR835 from Okinawa to Singapore on Aug 26 at 9.50am have been cancelled, Scoot said in response to queries from The Straits Times.

Flight TR174 on Aug 28 will depart Singapore for Fuzhou in Fujian at 3pm instead of 7am, while Flight TR175 on Aug 28 will depart Fuzhou for Singapore at 8.45pm instead of 12.45pm.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged the public to pay close attention to weather forecasts and evacuation information. “If you sense the slightest danger, don’t hesitate to take action to protect your lives,” she said in a post on X. Bloomberg