Two SIA flights to Hong Kong from Changi Airport on July 20 have been cancelled. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
HONG KONG (Bloomberg): Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Cathay Pacific Airways delayed and cancelled flights in and out of Hong Kong on July 20 as tropical cyclone Wipha approached the city.
According to the Singapore carrier’s website, two flights to Hong Kong from Changi Airport on July 20 have been cancelled – SQ874 and SQ882.
Another three flights from Hong Kong which were due to land in Singapore on the same day have also been cancelled – SQ899, SQ875 and SQ883.
SIA also said that two flights on July 20 will be rescheduled to a later time.
SQ892, which was originally set to depart Singapore for Hong Kong at 9.50am, will be pushed back to 11.50am.
Meanwhile, SQ893 from Hong Kong to Singapore will now similarly depart two hours later at 5.40pm, instead of 3.40pm.
The impending storm has also led to the cancellation of two flights (SQ856 and SQ857) between Singapore and Shenzhen, which is near Hong Kong.
“As the situation remains fluid, other SIA flights between Singapore, Shenzhen and Hong Kong may be affected,” the airline said on its website.
On July 19, Cathay Pacific said that all flights scheduled to arrive at or depart from the Hong Kong International Airport between 5am and 6pm will either be delayed or cancelled.
The company will rebook alternatives for affected customers, according to its statement.
The Hong Kong Observatory said it would issue typhoon Signal 8, the third-highest level, in the early hours of July 20.
As Wipha moves closer to the coast of Guangdong, winds will strengthen and there will be frequent heavy showers and thunderstorms in the region, according to the Observatory.
The Education Bureau said all special classes and other school events would be suspended on July 20.
The Airport Authority expects that many flights will be affected and that it will take one to two days for them to fully return to schedule, a representative said in a media briefing. -- BLOOMBERG
