Hong Kong Airlines Cancels Okinawa Flights as Champi Nears
Bastillepost · 8 SOURCESabout 19 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Airlines has cancelled its Thursday Okinawa services as Super Typhoon Champi moves across the northwestern Pacific and closer to waters east of Taiwan. The affected flights are HX658 from Hong Kong to Okinawa and HX659 from Okinawa back to Hong Kong, with fee waivers offered for rebooking, rerouting and refunds for eligible passengers. The airline said its Hong Kong-Taipei flights are still operating normally for now, but warned that services from Thursday to Saturday, or October 22 to 24, could be delayed or cancelled as the storm nears Taipei. Newer forecasts cited by multiple reports suggest Champi is more likely to turn north, pass near Ishigaki and Okinawa, and later head toward Japan, though some uncertainty remains over how close it may come to Taiwan.
Key Points
- Hong Kong Airlines cancelled Thursday flight HX658, scheduled to leave Hong Kong for Okinawa at 11:20am, and return flight HX659, due to Champi.
- The carrier said passengers with confirmed tickets can seek fee waivers for rebooking, changing destination or refunds through its website or travel agents.
- Hong Kong Airlines said Hong Kong-Taipei flights are currently operating normally, but services from October 22 to 24 may be delayed or cancelled.
- The Hong Kong Observatory said Champi is expected to move toward waters east of Taiwan, then more likely turn north across the East China Sea toward Japan.
- Japanese and other forecasts cited in reports said the storm could pass near Ishigaki and the Okinawa island chain on October 23 and 24.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong travellers, the disruption risk now extends beyond the two cancelled Okinawa flights because the airline has also flagged possible problems on the busy Taipei route through Saturday. The changing storm track also matters for passengers heading to Okinawa, Taiwan or Japan in the next few days, as airlines and weather agencies are adjusting plans while the typhoon’s exact path remains unsettled.