Hong Kong prepares for transport nightmare and massive flight cancellations as citywide strike against extradition bill crisis targets MTR, airport and roads
- Organisers intend to prevent passengers from reaching work in crucial business districts like Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok
- Critics say large-scale disruption – across industries ranging from finance to the arts – will severely damage reputation of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is preparing for massive flight cancellations, commuter chaos, traffic jams and service disruptions on Monday when the largest citywide strike in decades takes aim at public transport networks and crucial industries to protest against the government’s extradition bill fiasco.
The airport is expected to reduce flight operations to just one runway from two. Based on estimates, this could mean half of flights on Cathay Pacific Airways, the city’s flag carrier, could be affected, in the most direct blow to travellers, as concerns about the near nine-week anti-government protests gain international attention.
More than 1,000 commercial flights were initially due to depart and arrive in Hong Kong on Monday, with 511 services scheduled to leave the city, according to the Airport Authority’s website.
The decision by the Civil Aviation Department on Sunday night came amid anonymous air traffic controllers following through on threats to join Monday’s citywide strike.
More than 500,000 Hongkongers from over 20 business sectors were expected to join the industrial action, with organisers on Sunday urging all city employees to join the strike to pile more pressure on the city’s embattled administration.