Hong Kong's airlines evacuate planes as they wait out Typhoon Ragasa

A piece of luggage is seen with fallen tree brances on a beach in Mui Wo on Hong Kong's Lantau Island on September 24, 2025, after Super Typhoon Ragasa hit the city. About 80 per cent of the aircraft belonging to the four main airlines based in the city have been relocated to or grounded at airports in Japan, China, Cambodia, Europe, Australia and other locations. - AFP

HONG KONG: As Typhoon Ragasa, the world's most powerful tropical cyclone this year, approached Hong Kong this week, mass flight cancellations and lost revenue were not the only headache for airlines based at one of the world's busiest airports.

Ahead of the arrival of hurricane-force winds and torrential rain on Wednesday (Sept 24), about 80 per cent of the aircraft belonging to the four main airlines based in the city had been relocated to or grounded at airports in Japan, China, Cambodia, Europe, Australia and other locations, Flightradar24 tracking data showed.