Travellers flying between Singapore and Hong Kong faced significant disruptions as Typhoon Wipha lashed the region with fierce winds and torrential rain. Multiple airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and Cathay Pacific, cancelled or rescheduled their flights to protect passengers and crew from the hazardous weather conditions.
Typhoon Forces Flight Cancellations Across the Region
With the storm approaching Southeast China, operations at major airports like Hong Kong International (HKG), Singapore Changi (SIN), and Macau International (MFM) were severely affected. Cathay Pacific took the drastic step of suspending all flights in and out of Hong Kong from 5am to 6pm. Singapore Airlines cancelled several key routes on July 20, including flights SQ874 and SQ882 from Singapore to Hong Kong, and return flights SQ899, SQ875, and SQ883. Two other services—SQ892 and SQ893—were pushed back by two hours.
Flights connecting Singapore to Shenzhen, such as SQ856 and SQ857, were also axed. Budget carrier Scoot followed suit, cancelling its services to Macau (TR904 and TR905), citing safety concerns and regional weather alerts.
All three airlines are offering flexible travel options. Affected passengers can choose between rebooking on alternate flights or requesting full refunds, without additional fees.
Authorities Sound Alerts as Hong Kong Braces for Storm
The Hong Kong Observatory announced plans to issue Typhoon Signal 8—one of the city’s highest warnings—which typically signals strong winds exceeding 63km/h and widespread thunderstorms. Authorities advised the public to stay indoors and postponed all special school classes scheduled for the day.
Air travel chaos is expected to linger, with Hong Kong’s Airport Authority warning that a full return to normal operations could take up to two days after the storm passes.
Passengers Urged to Stay Updated
Airlines have urged travellers to monitor the latest flight statuses before heading to the airport. With the storm’s path still shifting unpredictably, further disruptions could be announced at short notice.
Affected passengers are encouraged to make use of the waiver policies and monitor official airline websites or apps for real-time updates. Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and Cathay Pacific have all issued public advisories and support hotlines for impacted travellers.
Singapore Airlines also recently experienced another weather-related incident, when an Airbus A350 encountered turbulence mid-flight, injuring one passenger—adding further pressure on the airline’s operations team amid the typhoon chaos.
Stay informed by checking with your airline directly, and avoid unnecessary travel during this period of heightened weather risk.