A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK.
In the coming days, Typhoon Champi is expected to approach the coasts of eastern Asia. The tropical storm, which is described by such publications as the South China Morning Post as being the strongest of the year, is currently heading towards Taiwan and mainland China. Elsewhere in the region, it is thought that the storm may later hit the south of Japan, resulting in pre-emptive flight cancelations.
The typhoon is also set to have an impact when it comes to military aviation, with US and Japanese forces currently undertaking a major exercise in the region. While the storm isn't set to cause large-scale disruption to the exercise, certain aspects have had to be modified or scaled down. Given the extreme weather conditions that are associated with typhoons, it is common to see disruption to aviation.
Cancelations Are Beginning To Add Up
Based on the current projected path of Typhoon Champi, the South China Morning Post notes that major Chinese airports are likely to be the ones that are impacted most heavily when the storm approaches and/or makes landfall. These, it says, are Wenzhou Longwan, Fuzhou Changle, Ningbo Lishe, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai Pudong, and Xiamen Gaoqi, citing Variflight.
Elsewhere in Asia, The Star notes that authorities in Thailand have warned that passengers flying from there to Taiwan could see their travel plans change between now and October 24. The full extent of the disruption will likely become clear in the coming days, but Japan Airlines has already pre-emptively canceled flights at nine different airports between October 22 and 24. The carrier says on its website:
"The decision on flight operations is going to be made depending on the latest weather information. (..) We recommend checking the latest status of your flight from the flight arrival and departure information."
Military Aviation Has Already Been Disrupted
Champi has already passed close to Guam, with AS reporting that the eye of the storm came within ten miles of the island. This resulted in 50% of Guam being left without power, despite the island avoiding a direct hit. At that point, it was classified as a Category Four storm, but it has since been upgraded to Category Five, with its eyewall said to be "two Mount Everests tall and 1.2 Rhode Islands wide."
According to coverage by Rus Tourism News, Guam Airport (GUM) saw flight cancelations last weekend, but the fact that Champi did not hit the island directly meant that the facility was able to continue to operate as normal. However, the storm's growth and projected path have subsequently led to disruption to military aviation, alongside the pre-emptive flight cancelations on the commercial side of things.
Specifically, Stars & Stripes reports that US and Japanese military commanders have had to cancel or scale back parts of a major joint exercise in the southwest of Japan known as Keen Sword. The exercise features 56,000 personnel, but, with safety remaining a priority, changes are being made on a day-to-day basis based on forecast updates. However, those involved do not expect a major impact.
Typhoons Typically Cause Widespread Cancelations, But Some Flights Operate
Typhoons are defined by their extremely strong winds, which make for potentially dangerous weather conditions as far as commercial aviation is concerned. With this in mind, cancelations are expected and often widespread when such storms break out, with 2023 proving to be a particular cluster on this front. In August of that year, Emirates and Japan Airlines cut flights as Typhoon Lan approached Japan.
Just two weeks later, the projected landfall of Typhoon Saola also prompted Hong Kong Airlines to cancel more than 30 flights, with routes such as Bangkok, Tokyo, Naha, Beijing, and Shanghai among those affected. Despite the extreme conditions, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 made headlines shortly afterward due to making a daring landing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) on September 1, 2023.