Arrivals at Hong Kong airport should remain in place during severe storms, transport authorities say, while pledging to adopt taxi quota system
- Airport Authority CEO Fred Lam vows changes will be made to avoid repeat of chaos last Sunday when Typhoon Koinu left thousands stranded
- Lam says taxi quota system will ensure passengers do not need to queue up for long outside and extra room will be arranged for arrivals to rest in comfort
Hong Kong’s transport authorities have advised arrivals to remain at the airport during extreme weather, while also promising to arrange more room for travellers to wait and a taxi quota system to prevent a repeat of the chaos caused by Typhoon Koinu on Sunday.
“In the future when there is a typhoon No 9 alert or above, passengers should stay inside the airport building until land transport resumes normal operation,” he said.
“If there are a large number of passengers stuck in the airport, we will provide more space and seats for them to rest.”
Lam’s pledge came after Koinu triggered a No 9 typhoon alert and led to the suspension of open-air rail services, including the Airport Express, leaving thousands of people stranded at the terminal and forcing passengers to book hotel rooms, sleep on seats or wait for hours for a taxi home.
The Observatory issued the No 9 warning with only 15 minutes’ advance notice.
Steven Yiu Siu-chung, the authority’s operations executive director, said 83 flights – bringing in 16,000 passengers – had landed in the city between 7pm and midnight on Sunday.
At one point, the waiting time for a taxi was more than five hours, with travellers backed up into the arrival hall.
Hong Kong to improve bad weather transport strategy after typhoon airport chaos
Airport authorities said at the time they called taxi associations to offer support but not many cabs showed up.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu earlier said the situation was “undesirable”, and demanded the Transport and Logistics Bureau develop contingency plans with the MTR Corp and the Airport Authority.
Lam said the taxi quota system would ensure passengers did not need to queue up for too long outside.
“There were things that could have been done better,” he said. “Next time we will put in place a taxi quota system so passengers can take a rest elsewhere while waiting for a taxi.”
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Lam emphasised that on Sunday authorities had liaised with a nearby hotel and arranged space for passengers to rest, with employees distributing food and drinks.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung also said the Airport Authority would adjust the arrival of flights to better manage the flow of passengers when a severe storm hit the city.
“We’ve also demanded the MTR Corp review its suspension of open-air rail services under a No 9 or No 10 typhoon alert. It will study the arrangement with the Observatory and come up with a proposal soon,” he said.
The rail operator stressed that the immediate suspension of services for all open-air sections of its lines – including the Airport Express – during the No 9 signal was normal protocol to prioritise safety.
“Fallen trees or debris being blown onto the tracks can potentially impact the operation of overhead cables or trains,” a spokesman said at the time.
“In such circumstances, continuing the operation of trains would pose a threat to the safety of passengers and staff.”
