Hong Kong International Airport is weighing grounding all passenger flights for 36 hours, the longest in recent history, as the Asian financial hub braces for one of its strongest super typhoons in years, according to people familiar with the matter.
Airport and aviation officials plan to halt all flights from as early as 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday through 6 a.m. on Thursday as Super Typhoon Ragasa bears down, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information.
A formal announcement is expected Monday, according to the people. Qantas Airways Ltd. had an announcement on its website Monday morning saying that Hong Kong airport will be closed from those hours. The Hong Kong Observatory plans to hoist its first precautionary signal for the storm around noon.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong said in a statement that it is “closely monitoring developments” and has “commenced preparations for the typhoon, covering areas such as apron safety, flight operations, passenger care, ground transportation services between the airport and the city and staff rest areas
