Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) said on 26 July that flight operations are gradually recovering in the wake of Severe Tropical Storm Noul. Some 670 movements were scheduled for the day, but about 360 were cancelled as the territory remained under a No. 8 Gale or Storm Signal for much of the morning. Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) activated its Emergency Centre overnight, deployed 100 extra staff to distribute blankets, snacks and toys, and established a 600-seat rest area in Terminal 1. A taxi-queue ticketing system and meal-voucher scheme were triggered to reduce passenger congestion. Three runways will operate overnight to clear the backlog, and AAHK expects regular schedules to resume by Tuesday morning. Corporate travel managers welcomed the early notice: most major carriers, led by Cathay Pacific and HK Express, re-booked displaced passengers onto services later in the week without fare differentials. Freight forwarders, however, warned exporters of lingering cargo delays as accumulated shipments compete for belly-hold space. Mobility professionals sending expatriates into Hong Kong this week should advise newcomers to monitor airline re-timings via the HKIA website or My HKG app and to build a 24-hour buffer before critical onboarding dates. Employers should also remind staff that airport express rail and most bus links have resumed but are susceptible to further weather-related interruptions.
Source: Hong Kong International Airport
