The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported that as of 9 am today, September 23, the eye of Typhoon Ragasa was about 820 km east of China’s Leizhou Peninsula, with maximum sustained winds of 202-221 kph.
The storm is expected to affect Vietnam’s mainland from September 25, with localities from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh likely to be the hardest hit.
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced the schedules of several flights, including those linking Vietnam and Northeast Asia. Services between HCM City and Hong Kong will be cancelled on September 23.
Additionally, many domestic and international flights on September 23 were also affected by knock-on disruptions from Typhoon Ragasa.
Earlier, budget carrier VietJet rescheduled some flights on September 23, including flights VJ8892/VJ8893 between Danang and Macau, and VJ876/VJ877 between HCM City and Hong Kong. It told passengers to check schedules and weather updates before heading to the airport, as some flights may be suspended or rescheduled due to the typhoon.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has ordered airlines to closely monitor Typhoon Ragasa, adjust schedules when necessary and reinforce airport safety checks.
The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) warned that the storm could severely disrupt operations in the Hanoi and HCM City control zones, as well as at northern and central airports. VATM has held an emergency meeting and drawn up response plans, including rerouting air traffic and deploying staff on round-the-clock duty.
