Vietnam Airlines delays flights to and from Taiwan amid typhoon threat

By Phan Anh   September 30, 2019 | 01:39 am PT
Vietnam Airlines delays flights to and from Taiwan amid typhoon threat
A Vietnam Airlines aircraft on the runway at an airport in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines.
Typhoon Mitag has forced Vietnam Airlines to delay three Monday flights between Vietnam and Taiwan by up to nine hours.

The national flag carrier said in a press release that flights VN570 from Saigon to Taipei, VN573 from Taipei to Saigon and VN578 from Hanoi to Taipei would have their departure times delayed to 1:30 a.m., 7:15 a.m. and 2:10 a.m. on Tuesday, respectively.

It also recommended passengers to stay updated on weather news and official announcements from the airline, especially passengers flying from and to airports in Taipei, Busan, Seoul, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Changzhou, all of which are affected by Mitag.

Taiwan shut down its financial markets and ordered schools closed on Monday as Mitag approached its northeastern coast, while airlines cancelled more than 150 flights amid warnings of floods and high winds, Reuters reported.

Mitag, categorized by Taiwan’s weather bureau at the second-strongest typhoon level, was expected to approach the coast of Yilan county with maximum winds of 162 kph (100 mph) on Monday night.

"The army and authorities are on all out alert. Friends in the affected areas please make preparations for the typhoon and stay indoors as much as possible," Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen posted on Facebook.

About 12,000 soldiers were on standby amid fears of floods and storm surges, media reports said.

After passing over Taiwan, the typhoon is expected to approach China’s eastern city of Shanghai on Tuesday.

 
 
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