Tropical storm causes flight changes between Taiwan, Okinawa Friday

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) Several flights between Taiwan and Okinawa will be changed on Friday due to tropical storm Mekkhala approaching the Ryukyu Islands, airlines said Thursday.

EVA Air announced its BR112/113 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa on Friday will be cancelled.

China Airlines said that it has cancelled flights CI120/121 between Taoyuan and Naha and CI132/133 between Kaohsiung and Naha on Friday, while flights CI122 and CI123 between Taoyuan and Naha will be delayed and upgraded to larger aircraft.

Starlux Airlines announced schedule adjustments for its Okinawa routes: flight JX302 from Taichung to Naha has been postponed to 2:55 p.m., while JX303 from Naha to Taichung is delayed until 6:30 p.m.

In addition, flight JX870 from Taipei to Naha has been delayed to 2:20 p.m., and its return leg, JX871, will now depart at 6:10 p.m., according to the company.

Meanwhile, Tigerair Taiwan announced that flights IT230/231 between Taoyuan and Naha, as well as IT288/289 between Kaohsiung and Naha, will be postponed until Saturday, with the latter flight number changed to IT2288/2289.

Tigerair Taiwan also said flights IT792 from Taichung to Naha and IT729 from Naha to Kaohsiung on Friday have been cancelled.

According to the Central Weather Administration, tropical storm Mekkhala was located at latitude 24.6 degrees North and longitude 125.8 degrees East as of 2 p.m. Thursday, about 220 kilometers southwest of Okinawa, moving north-northeast at a speed of 17 kilometers per hour.