Flights canceled, rescheduled as Taiwan braces for Typhoon Krathon

Taipei, Sept. 30 (CNA) Several airline companies have canceled or rescheduled flights on Tuesday and later, with Typhoon Krathon forecast to turn towards Taiwan, according to announcements made late Monday.

Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has canceled flights between its home base and Taiwan from Tuesday to Friday, including fight CX448 from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung on Oct. 1, according to a press release from the company.

On Wednesday, all four round-trip flights between Hong Kong and Kaohsiung have been canceled, along with flight CX408 from Hong Kong to Taipei (Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport).

Flight CX408 is also canceled on Thursday, along with CX407 from Taipei to Hong Kong, and flights CX432 and CX424 from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung, as well as CX449, CX431 and CX423 from Kaohsiung to Hong Kong.

Flight CX407 is also canceled on Friday, according to Cathay Pacific.

Another affected international flight on Tuesday was announced by Taiwan's Starlux Airlines, which said flight IT578 has been rescheduled to depart Da Nang, Vietnam at the earlier time of 7 p.m. and head to Kaohsiung.

Starlux said further changes to its flight schedule are expected over the next few days due to the weather conditions, and the most up to date operational and flight information will be available from staff at each airport.

With Typhoon Krathon's approaching, domestic flights will be more significantly disrupted on Tuesday, after Mandarin Airlines cancelled all flights to and from Hualien and Taitung in eastern Taiwan, while Kaohsiung-Penghu County flights after 1 p.m. and Kaohsiung-Kinmen flights after 3 p.m. have also been canceled.

Mandarin Airlines also canceled all Taichung-Penghu flights after 4 p.m. and all domestic flights departing from Taipei Songshan Airport after 5 p.m.

Meanwhile, UNI Air canceled all Taitung flights, and Kaohsiung flights from noon, as well as flights to and from Chiayi and Tainan after 2 p.m.

The carrier also moved the departure time of flight B7-8966 from Kinmen to Taichung to 2:50 p.m., and B7-8640 from Penghu to Taichung to 3:20 p.m.

At 10 p.m. Monday, the center of Typhoon Krathon was located over waters about 170 kilometers south-southwest of Pingtung's Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost tip, according to data from the Central Weather Administration.

The storm was moving in a west-northwesterly direction at 6 kilometers per hour, while taking a north-northwest turn and packing maximum sustained winds of 173 kph, with gusts of up to 209 kph, the data showed.