Typhoon Krathon disrupts air traffic in Taiwan

Taipei, Oct. 2 (CNA) Typhoon Krathon caused flights disruptions in Taiwan, with the cancellation of all domestic flights on Thursday, while at least 59 international flights have been canceled or rescheduled.

Taiwan's three domestic airlines Uni Air, Mandarin Airlines, and Daily Air announced Wednesday all their flights originally scheduled for Thursday were canceled.

In terms of international services, China Airlines announced that its CI585/CI586 flights between Kaohsiung and Shenzhen, CI583/CI584 between Kaohsiung and Shanghai Pudong Airport, CI757/CI758 on the Kaohsiung-Singapore route, and CI933 from Kaohsiung to Hong Kong on Thursday were canceled.

CAL also announced delays to its CI164/CI165 flights between Kaohsiung and South Korea's Incheon, CI102/CI103 between Kaohsiung and Tokyo Narita Airport and CI934 from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung scheduled on Thursday.

Meanwhile, EVA Airways (EVA Air) also canceled a total of 12 flights between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Hong Kong and between the Taoyuan airport and Shanghai Pudong airport scheduled on Thursday.

However, EVA Air said while its services at Taipei Songshan Airport will be normal on Thursday, four flights linking Kaoshiung with Tokyo Narita Airport and Osaka are canceled.

Starlux indicated that it has canceled its Taichung-Da Nang and Taichung-Macau flights on Thursday.

Tigerair Taiwan announced the affected flights on Thursday are IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau, IT284/IT285 Kaohsiung-Osaka's Kansai and IT288/IT289 Kaohsiung-Okinawa's Naha which have been cancelled.

Krathon caused the cancellations of 132 international passenger and cargo flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Wednesday, while 59 flights scheduled on Thursday have also been canceled, according to the airport operator.

Taoyuan International Airport Corp. said in a statement on Wednesday citing weather forecasts that as Krathon's outer bands are expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to Taiwan on Thursday, as of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, airlines had canceled 59 flights scheduled for Thursday.

Meanwhile, the in-town check-in service at Taoyuan Airport MRT's A1 Taipei Main Station and A3 New Taipei Industrial Park Station was also suspended Wednesday, while MRT and freeway bus services were running at reduced capacity or stopped operation, the company said.

As airlines may change flight schedules on a rolling basis based on changing weather conditions, the airport company reminded passengers to keep up to date with the latest travel and flight information.

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, Krathon was located 110 kilometers to the southwest of Kaohsiung and moving north-northeast at a speed of 9 kilometers per hour, CWA data showed.

With a radius of 200 km, the storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 144 kilometers per hour, with gusts of up to 180 kph, the data indicated.

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