TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport canceled 760 flights due to Typhoon Bavi on Saturday, though two flights were still expected to arrive from Vietnam during the evening.
At a meeting Saturday morning, representatives of the airport, airlines, ground services, and other parties agreed to step up safety patrols to prevent damage during the typhoon, the Liberty Times reported. The meeting also discussed the resumption of services on Sunday.
Typhoon Bavi forced the cancellation of 760 flights scheduled for Saturday, covering passenger and cargo flights, the report said. The only exceptions were two passenger flights from Vietnam scheduled to arrive during the evening, when the worst of the storm is expected to have passed.
Vietnam Airlines flight VN570 from Ho Chi Minh City is scheduled to land in Taoyuan at 9:05 p.m., and Flight VN578 from Hanoi five minutes later. The two flights are expected to have a total of 307 passengers.
As the path and intensity of the typhoon could still change, Taoyuan International Airport Corporation asked China Airlines, which has a code-sharing agreement with Vietnam Airlines, to keep in close touch with the other company to stay aware of changes and inform passengers.
Most aircraft at the airport had been moved to its northeast sector, where they can shelter from the worst of the storm, Liberty Times reported. Measures were also taken to prevent damage, such as tying items down with cables or increasing the weight of the planes.
