Cathay Pacific cancels 400 flights as airlines brace for Mangkhut

Airlines across the region are preparing for typhoon Mangkhut

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. cancelled more than 400 flights over the next three days and warned of “serious disruptions” for air travellers as Super Typhoon Mangkhut approaches Hong Kong.

Other airlines across the region halted flights on Saturday as Mangkhut slammed into the Philippines and was set to disrupt travel from Hong Kong to Japan.

Cathay Pacific said earlier in a statement it’s cancelling all flights in and out of Hong Kong from Sunday 2:30 a.m. to Monday 4 a.m. Cathay Dragon also won’t be flying.

AirAsia Group Bhd had canceled at least 22 flights as of Saturday morning, upsetting travellers from Manila to Shenzhen and Macau, according to a Facebook post. Philippines Airlines Inc. scrapped 41 Saturday flights, including those to Hangzhou and Tokyo, it said on Facebook.

Mangkhut, which is being called the world’s most powerful storm this year, ripped into the northern Philippines on Saturday as a Category 5 storm, bringing winds of up to 269 kilometres (167 miles) per hour.