Typhoon Mangkhut: Most flights from Singapore to Hong Kong cancelled

As of 1pm on Sept 16, 2018, Changi Airport's website showed that more than 30 flights by major airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and American Airlines, have been cancelled. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM CHANGI AIRPORT WEBSITE

SINGAPORE - Most flights scheduled to fly from Singapore to Hong Kong on Sunday (Sept 16) have been cancelled due to Super Typhoon Mangkhut.

As of 10pm, Changi Airport's website showed that more than 30 flights by major airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and American Airlines, have been cancelled.

One flight - a codeshare between Singapore Airlines SQ868, Ethiopian Airlines ET1323 and Virgin Australia VA5646 - is listed as having been rescheduled to early Monday.

An advisory on the Changi Airport website states: "Due to Typhoon Mangkhut, flights to and from Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen may be affected. Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines, as well as the flight status page, for the latest updates."

In a travel advisory posted to its website, Cathay Pacific Airways said that the typhoon has led to over 400 of its flights to and from Hong Kong International Airport being cancelled as of 4.15pm on Sunday.

These included both its Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon services.

According to the Changi Airport website, about 28 flights from Hong Kong to Singapore on Sunday have been cancelled, while nine flights landed safely earlier.

An SIA spokesman told The Straits Times on Sunday that passengers were kept updated through text messages, e-mails, posts on its social media pages and news alerts via its website.

"Various arrangements have been made for passengers who were affected by the flight disruptions due to Typhoon Mangkhut such as hotel accommodations, meals as well as the option to change their travel dates," the spokesman added.

SIA was unable to provide the number of passengers affected.

In its advisory, Cathay Pacific Airways said it was expecting a gradual return to scheduled flight operations from Monday morning, subject to weather conditions.

"Service resumption will likely be very slow, with continued delays and some cancellations," it added.

Mangkhut could affect as many as 30.5 million people across Asia, according to the United Nations Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System.

Correction note: An earlier version of the report indicated that three flights were delayed. This is incorrect. Only one flight was delayed. We are sorry for the error.

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