Typhoon Fung-wong: When will airports in the Philippines reopen as 'super typhoon' forces closures?
Three airports in the Philippines have been closed by authorities as Typhoon Fung-wong makes landfall.
Dubbed a “super typhoon” by weather forecasters, Fung-wong is expected to be the largest and most devastating storm in the Philippines this year.
It has already started battering the country’s north-eastern coastline, knocking out power and forcing more than a million people to evacuate their homes.
Fung-wong, which comes winds of up to 115mph and maximum gusts of 143mph, was first spotted by government forecasters over coastal waters near the town of Pandan.
As part of the emergency response to the typhoon, three airports in the Philippines have been temporarily closed. Cauayan Airport in Isabela, Baguio Airport and Sangley Airport in Cavite City have all been shut by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
Other airports, including Bicol International Airport and airports in Naga, Virac, Masbate, and Daet, will remain closed for the forseeable future.
A CAAP spokesperson said: “All flights to and from the affected airports have been cancelled or diverted. CAAP continues to closely monitor the situation and will issue further advisories as necessary.”
Passengers were instructed to coordinate directly with their airlines for real-time flight updates, rebooking options, and other travel concerns. The agency added that assistance and meals are being provided to stranded passengers in the meantime.
Authorities in northern provinces to be hit or sideswiped by Fung-wong pre-emptively declared the shutdown of schools and most government offices on Monday and Tuesday.
At least 325 domestic and 61 international flights have been cancelled over the weekend and into Monday, and more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded in at least 109 seaports, where the coast guard prohibited ships from venturing into rough seas.
Cauayan Airport is due to reopen at 4pm today (Sunday, November 9), with Baguio Airport set to resume operations at 3.30pm on Monday (November 10) and Sangley Airport two and a half hours after that.
All plans to reopen airports, schools and government offices are subject to change.