The storm, which has already claimed up to 10,000 lives in the Philippines, moved through the South China Sea over the weekend toward southern China, hitting Vietnam.
Government agencies have advised for extra vigilance if traveling to Vietnam or China, with the storm expected to continue for the next few days, moving northeast into Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China.
According to CNN, flights and airports have started to reopen in the Philippines. “All airports except Tacloban have resumed normal operations already,” tweeted the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
The airport at Tacloban, the most badly affected town in the Philippines, has started to receive and send limited commercial flights too, according to the CAA.
The storm, a category five as it moved over the Philippines with gusts of up to 235 miles per hour, shut down at least a dozen airports and hundreds of flights, crippling the travel industry in the central part of the country.
It is not expected to affect Vietnam or China as badly, though preparations are underway to limit damage as what is now a category one storm arrives.
Some 17,300 passengers have been affected by canceled or delayed flights at Sanya Phoenix Airport in Sanya on the resort island of Hainan in southern China, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. Thousands more have been evacuated, the agency said. But the airport has stated that by the end of Monday, November 11, all stranded fliers will have departed.
In Vietnam, flights were canceled in the central region around Thua Thien in Hue Province yesterday, while 86 domestic flights from Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air and Jetstar Pacific to at least 10 central airports were canceled, according to local news reports.
All international flights to the affected region were also canceled.
Philippine airlines, airports resume duties
As airports reopen, airlines are resuming operations to affected areas. Philippine Airlines says to a statement: “Philippine Airlines and PALex will operate commercial flights to Tacloban via Cebu starting tomorrow, November 11, to help passengers whose flights were cancelled as a result of super typhoon Yolanda
These commercial flights are as follows:
2P5973 CEB 0740AM (ETD)
TAC 0820AM (ETA)
2P5974 TAC 0850AM (ETD)
CEB 930AM (ETA)
2P5975 CEB 1000AM (ETD)
TAC 1040AM (ETA)
2P5976 TAC 1110AM (ETD)
CEB 1150AM (ETA)
2P5977 CEB 1220PM (ETD)
TAC 2PM (ETA)
2P5978 TAC 230PM (ETD)
CEB 310PM (ETA)
2P5979 CEB 340PM (ETD)
TAC 420PM (ETA)
2P5980 TAC 450PM (ETD)
CEB 530PM (ETA)
A PAL special flight will depart from Manila en route Tacloban tomorrow morning to ferry relief supplies to the hardest hit city.
The government has temporarily halted commercial jet operations in Tacloban due to heavy damage sustained by the airport from the strong winds and storm surges.
Government is however allowing limited turbo prop flights to give way to humanitarian missions ferrying relief supplies and equipment.
PAL is responding to that call via special flight 2P5971 departing Manila at 420AM tomorrow, November 11.
Meanwhile, PALex is reinstating the following flights resulting from the reopening of Kalibo and Busuanga airports, namely:
Manila – Kalibo – Manila
2P565/566
2P567/568
2P969/970
2P081/082
Manila-Kalibo-Pudong-Kalibo-Manila 2P975/2P741/742/976
Manila-Kalibo-Hangzhou-Kalibo-Manila 2P975/745/746/976
Manila-Busuanga-Manila
2P031/032
2P033/034″.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
