Vietnam Airlines cancels flights to South Korea as typhoon nears

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Vietnam Airlines cancels flights to South Korea as typhoon nears

Passengers at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

Vietnam Airlines has changed its flight schedules to South Korea with typhoon Ling Ling forecast to hit many parts of the country Saturday.

The national flag carrier said in a statement Friday that two flights scheduled to leave Da Nang in central Vietnam for Busan on Saturday will be canceled for safety reasons after warnings issued about the 13th storm of the season expected to make a direct hit on the central regions of South Korea Saturday morning.

Flights departing from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Busan will be delayed for six to nine hours, and the airline will also reschedule its flights from the two metropolises to Seoul.

Affected passengers on these flights will be given alternative options, the airline said.

Passengers have been advised to stay updated on the status of their flights and to keep track of weather conditions and announcements from the carrier while making their travel plans.

Experts said the typhoon is moving northward rapidly towards South Korea, with rain and strong winds seen on the country’s southernmost island of Jeju Friday afternoon. Weather agencies have warned that wind speed may peak at 55 meters per second, or 200 kph, in some island areas.

Dozens of flights have been canceled at the Jeju International Airport in South Korea ahead of Ling Ling’s expected arrival, according to English-language daily Korea Herald.

Entrance to Hallasan National Park, the country’s highest mountain, has been suspended ahead of the powerful typhoon.