Hong Kong airport recovery: all runways active after Ragasa

Published on Sep 26, 2025, 10:27 am CDT

6 min read

Hong Kong International Airport is operating all runways and pushing elevated volumes as airlines work through a multi-day backlog after the 36-hour cyclone shutdown. Airport Authority Hong Kong says departures resumed early on September 25 with a controlled ramp-up and more than 1,000 flights forecast through September 26. Cathay Pacific, HK Express, Hong Kong Airlines, and Greater Bay Airlines are restoring schedules and honoring flexible waivers. The MTR is phasing rail services back, while key ferry routes post staged resumptions. Travelers with reissued tickets should reconfirm flight times, allow extra time for security and transport, and expect rolling delays as operations stabilize.

Key points

Why it matters: A full Hong Kong airport recovery unlocks regional and long-haul connectivity across Asia.
Travel impact: Multi-day queues as airlines clear 100,000-plus disrupted itineraries.
What's next: Additional recovery flights and retimed services through the weekend.
Cathay, Hong Kong Airlines, and Greater Bay have active waivers.
MTR rail and select ferries are resuming with phased schedules.
All three runways are active under peak recovery traffic.

Snapshot

Airport Authority Hong Kong confirmed a controlled restart from 6 a.m. on September 25, shifting to full three-runway operations while airlines re-sequence aircraft and crews. Reuters reported more than 1,000 movements expected through September 26, with the authority cautioning that terminals would be extremely busy during the first 48 hours. South China Morning Post estimated a backlog affecting roughly 140,000 passengers as carriers rebuilt networks after aircraft evacuations and wide cancellations. The MTR began restoring lines in phases on September 24, with further improvements on September 25 and 26. Ferry operators posted staged resumptions, including outlying-islands and cross-harbor links. Expect recovery flights, retimed departures, and sporadic delays as airlines reposition aircraft and crews.

Background

Super Typhoon Ragasa forced Hong Kong to suspend passenger flights for about 36 hours as the city hoisted Typhoon Signal 10, then lowered levels as the storm moved inland. Ahead of landfall, local carriers relocated substantial portions of their fleets to regional airports to protect assets and speed recovery. Cathay Pacific alone canceled more than 500 flights and activated a special ticketing policy, while Hong Kong Airlines and Greater Bay Airlines announced similar waivers. HK Express adjusted its schedule, with more than 100 cancellations reported during the storm window. Once winds eased, the airport prioritized safety inspections, airfield checks, and crew rest compliance before reopening. Ground transport, including the MTR and ferries, resumed progressively as debris was cleared from tracks, roads, and piers.

Latest developments

Airline recovery schedules, waivers, and backlog clearing

Cathay Pacific is restoring long-haul and regional services with rolling recovery flights and is honoring rebooking and refund flexibility under its Typhoon Ragasa special ticketing guideline. Hong Kong Airlines has published cancellation lists and a special ticketing arrangement, steering customers to online rebooking tools to speed queue times. Greater Bay Airlines has posted a Ragasa travel alert with service updates and a ticket-change policy, while HK Express re-timed services during September 23-25 and is re-accommodating disrupted travelers. Reuters reported carriers had evacuated roughly 80 percent of local fleets during peak winds, so aircraft and crews are now being ferried back. Expect concentrated waves of departures, day-of retimes, and some substitutions as airlines burn down the backlog into the weekend.

Airport throughput, three-runway ops, and customer flow

Airport Authority updates indicate a full three-runway posture with an elevated flight count as schedules normalize. The authority signaled a particularly busy Thursday-Friday window, with over 1,000 combined movements as airlines resume. Local reporting placed the disruption backlog near 140,000 passengers, implying extended lines at check-in, ticket desks, and immigration during peak banks. Travelers on reissued or standby itineraries should monitor airline apps for gate or time changes, use self-service where possible, and arrive earlier than usual given crowd-control measures in the departure halls. Additional recovery flights and up-gauged aircraft are likely on trunk routes to clear stranded passengers and restore downline connectivity across Asia and beyond.

Transit links resuming: MTR and ferries

The MTR reported phased restoration of lines on September 24, with some sections needing extra time for debris removal and overhead repairs. Rail frequency continues to improve as staffing and inspections catch up with demand. Ferry operators published storm notices and began staged resumptions, including Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry routes and Sun Ferry inter-islands services once signals were lowered and sea states moderated. Allow additional buffer for rail or pier transfers, and verify first-sailing times if you are connecting to early morning departures. If you are rebooked onto a late-night arrival, confirm that your chosen rail or ferry option is operating at that hour, and have a taxi or rideshare fallback.

Analysis

Hong Kong's aviation system is executing a classic post-typhoon recovery: reopen the airfield, meter the schedule, then surge capacity where the backlog is worst. Evacuating aircraft before peak winds preserved assets and accelerated the restart, but it also created a sequencing challenge as jets, crews, and maintenance windows return from multiple countries. Cathay's special ticketing and Hong Kong Airlines' online rebooking tools are designed to move volume out of airport lines and into digital channels, a best practice when tens of thousands of itineraries need new seats. On the ground, the MTR's staged resumption reduces pressure on curbside traffic, but late-night or early-morning connections will remain the pinch point until full frequencies return. Expect operational noise for several days: retimed departures, aircraft swaps, and rolling delays as ground time, crew duty limits, and gate availability ripple through the network. The upside is that all three runways are active, which gives the hub enough throughput to digest the backlog quickly if weather holds.

Final thoughts

If your Hong Kong trip was rebooked, treat this period like a holiday rush with storm complications. Lock in your flight status the night before, add at least an extra hour for airport formalities, and use airline apps for seat changes and notifications. For tight connections, consider shifting to a later onward flight, especially if it involves separate tickets. Verify your rail or ferry option's operating hours before committing to a late arrival. With three runways active and carriers layering in recovery flights, Hong Kong airport recovery should accelerate into the weekend as crews and aircraft return to normal rotations.