Vietnamese airlines reschedule flights to Taiwan due to Typhoon Kong-rey

Waves crash over a sea wall as Super Typhoon Kong-rey neared the coast of Taitung, Taiwan, on Thursday. — AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese airlines have made adjustments to their flight schedules to and from Taiwan (China) on October 31 and November 1 due to the impact of Typhoon Kong-rey.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has rescheduled departure times for flights to avoid the storm-affected areas around the Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei.

Specifically, flights VN570 from HCM City to Taipei on October 31 and VN571 from Taipei to HCM City on November 1 were rescheduled to depart at the same time on November 1 and November 2, respectively. Flight VN586 from Hà Nội to Kaohsiung on October 31 will depart at 4:15am on November 1, while flight VN580 from HCM City to Kaohsiung on October 31 was rescheduled to depart at 2:25am on November 1.

A representative of Vietnam Airlines said that the carrier has adjusted its flight schedules to ensure safety, aiming to maintain original departure and arrival times. However, as multiple airlines are rerouting to avoid the typhoon, air traffic congestion may occur, potentially causing further delays.

Vietjet has also adjusted flights to/from Taiwan on October 31. Flights VJ948 from Hà Nội to Taichung on October 31 and VJ949 from Taichung to Hà Nội on October 31 were rescheduled to depart at 7am and 11:30am on November 1, respectively. Flights VJ852 from HCM City to Taichung and VJ853 from Taichung to HCM City on October 31 were rescheduled for 8am and 13.20pm on November 1. Some other flights are also experiencing delays.

According to airline representatives, adverse weather during storms is an unavoidable situation that incurs significant costs for airlines, including fuel expenses. However, passenger safety remains the top priority.

Passengers have been advised to keep a close watch on the typhoon while any flight changes arising from weather conditions would be updated on the airlines' fan pages and websites or via phone and email provided by customers. — VNA/VNS