Hongkongers’ travel plans were thrown into chaos after Typhoon Lan hit western Japan on Tuesday, with flights out of Osaka only resuming in the evening and transport links to the city’s Kansai airport having earlier ground to a halt.
As Lan arrived south of Osaka on Tuesday morning, all rail services to Kansai came to a stop and the only bridge linking the Japanese mainland to the island airport was closed for most of the day.
Tony Ng, 52, who works in the construction sector, was to return home on an HK Express flight from Kansai in the afternoon after a six-day family holiday in western Japan. But the budget carrier told him that the flight was postponed until 11.30pm.
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Ng’s group of three moved out of their guest house in Osaka one night early on Monday as a precaution, and booked two nights at a hotel a railway station away from Kansai airport. They also had an extra night booked as a backup in case of further delays.
But he was forced to change plans again when he checked into the hotel on Monday night.
“The hotel’s receptionist told me that if we did not head to the airport right now, we could miss our flight on Tuesday,” Ng said.
He added his group grabbed their luggage, cancelled the hotel reservation and dashed to the airport.
“We knew nothing because we didn’t see messages from Japanese authorities. We only knew the flight time had changed,” Ng said.
Travel chaos: Japan cancels trains, flights as it braces for Typhoon Lan
Japanese media reported that about 650 passengers spent the night at the airport on Tuesday.
Ng said he spotted other Hongkongers in airport restaurants and convenience stores, which remained well-stocked throughout the day.
He added passengers camped out in the terminal were also given blankets and water.
“It felt odd that the flights would go ahead when people couldn’t come to the airport,” Ng said.
HK Express sent two planes to Osaka on Tuesday, which arrived at around 9.20pm and 10.40pm, and two Hong Kong-bound flights were expected to take off at 11.30pm and at 1am on Wednesday.
Hong Kong Airlines rescheduled three Osaka-bound flights to arrive at Kansai airport between 9.30pm on Tuesday and midnight. The airline operated two flights that were expected to leave the Japanese city after midnight.
A string of international flights from South Korea, Taiwan and Australia also landed at Kansai airport after 9pm local time.
Cathay Pacific, the parent of HK Express, and Japanese budget carrier Peach cancelled or delayed Osaka-bound flights on Tuesday to Wednesday.
Kansai airport’s road link reopened at around 6pm local time on Tuesday, but train services remained suspended for the rest of the day, except for one line which resumed operations for about three hours after 9pm.
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Online user Peko Wong reported on the HK Express Facebook page that her hotel in Osaka managed to arrange a taxi to the airport.
Another user Ip Wing-yau said his hotel insisted there might be difficulties reaching the airport by taxi, although he finally made it there.
HK Express said passengers were advised to check the latest information on the airline and airport websites before they set out.
Hong Kong Airlines referred the Post to the travel alerts on its Osaka operation.
At least 900 domestic flights across Japan were axed on Tuesday, with more cancellations on Wednesday.
Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains between Fukuoka and Tokyo were expected to restart normal services from Wednesday morning.
There was chaos at Kansai airport back in September 2018 when western Japan was hit by Typhoon Jebi.
Thousands of travellers were stranded on the artificial island after a 2,591-ton tanker ship dragged its anchor and hit the airport’s road link.
A large section of the airport’s apron was also flooded by a storm surge.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Hongkongers eye Japan for ‘revenge travel’, with country among top destinations for city residents with wanderlust
- Japan travel sector cheers as Chinese tour groups return, but overcrowding concerns remain
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