Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has resumed operations after Typhoon Ragasa left Hong Kong and headed for southern China, where nearly two million people were evacuated in preparation for its arrival.
HKIA said the airport’s key facilities were largely unscathed during the storm.
Airport Authority Hong Kong is advising passengers to still check with their airlines for the latest flight information and allow sufficient time for travelling to the airport with seats and flight schedules confirmed.
During the storm, the airport’s Passenger Care Team gave out supplies such as bottled water, snacks and blankets to passengers in need.
They also provided cotton candy, popcorn and children’s drawing kits to cater for the needs of families.
The storm had grounded flights for 36 hours at HKIA, while storm surges from Typhoon Ragasa shattered the glass doors of the coastal-facing Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel.
However, unexpected winners from the storm were high-end Hong Kong hotels, many of them – including the Mandarin Oriental – fully booked by bankers such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and HSBC, who told their employees to work from home or take refuge from the typhoon in hotels close to the bankers’ offices.
Ragasa – which killed 17 in Taiwan – has been downgraded from a super typhoon to a severe typhoon and is expected to weaken to a tropical depression as it moves west towards Laos.