Flights have been cancelled and airlines are offering refunds in at least 10 airports, as a weakened Typhoon Bavi nears China’s coast, where it is expected to land between Fuqing in Fujian province and Wenling in Zhejiang.
Zhoushan airport said in a social media post that 14 flights to and from the island city in Zhejiang province, eastern China were cancelled for Friday. In Wenzhou, 17 inbound flights have been cancelled.
Multiple airlines – including Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines – have activated special ticketing assistance channels and announced fee-waiver rebooking or refunding policies.
According to an Air China notice, passengers booked to fly via affected cities, including Quanzhou, Hangzhou and Xiamen in the next two days can refund their tickets or switch flights without additional fees.
The National Meteorological Centre said on Friday that Bavi has weakened to “severe typhoon” status, with winds at its centre dropping to 45 metres per second as it continues towards China’s coast where it is expected to land between Fuqing in Fujian province and Wenling in Zhejiang.
The forecaster maintained an orange alert, the second-highest in a four-tier system. The former super typhoon is predicted to bring heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours to Taiwan as well as across the Chinese mainland.