Cathay Pacific to axe 500 flights as typhoon set to close Hong Kong Airport

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) will shut down all passenger flights for 36 hours from the evening of September 23, 2025, until September 25, 2025, as the city prepares for the arrival of ‘super typhoon’ Ragasa. The unprecedented 36-hour shutdown is the longest in HKIA’s recent history, surpassing the 20-hour and 13-hour closures for previous typhoons in recent years.

The airport’s home-based airline, Cathay Pacific, has said it will be forced to cancel over 500 flights during this period as a result of the typhoon, with tens of thousands of passengers due to be affected by the stoppage.

Super Typhoon Ragasa has already wreaked havoc across the Philippines and Taiwan, bringing flood waters and power outages across the country. Thousands of people have been evacuated as a result of the typhoon so far in these regions, with many schools and offices closed.  

Hong Kong International Airport / ShutterstockThe Hong Kong Observatory has officially classified Ragasa as a super typhoon with sustained winds of 143 miles (230 km) per hour near its core, which is comparable to a Category Four hurricane. The Hong Kong Observatory forecast the city will see “gale to storm force winds” on September 24, 2025. “The weather will be adverse with frequent heavy squally showers and significant storm surge,” the weather bureau added.

Hong Kong Airport authorities have said that the airport is preparing to suspend all passenger flights for the 36 hours that the typhoon is expected to pass over the region. This will represent the longest suspension of flights ever carried out at the facility and is likely to begin at 18:00 local time on September 23, 2025, until 06:00 on September 25, 2025, according to reports.

Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific said on Monday, September 22, 2025, that it expected to cancel more than 500 flights as Super Typhoon Ragasa was forecast to hit the city.

“Starting at 18:00 tomorrow, September 23, 2025, Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights arriving at and departing from Hong Kong International Airport will cease operations until resuming during daytime hours on Thursday, September 25, 2025,” a spokeswoman for the airline said at a hastily arranged press conference. “More than 500 flights are currently expected to be cancelled.”

“Cathay Pacific will be waiving refund charges for all tickets issued worldwide on/before 21 September 2025, irrespective of fare type. This applies to confirmed Cathay Pacific bookings arriving in and departing from Hong Kong between 23 and 25 September 2025,” the airline added.

BoeingUpon hearing the news of the approaching storm, residents in Hong Kong have been rushing to supermarkets to stock up on food and essentials ahead of Ragasa’s arrival, with some comparing the crowds to the Lunar New Year. According to The Independent, fresh vegetables, meat, and baked goods all sold out quickly, leaving empty shelves in many stores.

Officials in Hong Kong have said that they planned to stack sandbags and install flood barriers for some coastal villages near the city. The Education Bureau has announced that all schools will be suspended on September 23 and 24, 2025. Meanwhile, the city’s hospital authority said public hospitals have implemented special measures to ensure emergency services are not affected during the storm.

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