As Super Typhoon Ragasa, recognized as the year’s most potent tropical cyclone, bore down on Hong Kong this week, local airlines faced more than just the immediate disruption of massive flight cancellations and anticipated revenue losses. A significant logistical challenge arose: safeguarding their valuable aircraft fleet from the impending hurricane-force winds and torrential rain.
In a remarkable pre-storm maneuver on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, an estimated 80% of all aircraft belonging to Hong Kong’s four primary airlines were strategically relocated or grounded at various international airports. Destinations ranged from Japan, China, and Cambodia to Europe and Australia, as revealed by Flightradar24 tracking data. This widespread relocation highlighted the severity of the threat posed by Ragasa.
Even Hong Kong’s extensive business jet fleet followed suit, moving out of the territory ahead of the storm, a proactive step confirmed by the Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre.
In anticipation of the typhoon’s arrival, all flight arrivals and departures at Hong Kong International Airport—one of the world’s busiest cargo hubs and a major player in international passenger traffic—were suspended for 36 hours, beginning Tuesday evening, September 23.
Cathay Pacific Airways, the city’s largest airline, had already announced on Monday, September 22, that Typhoon Ragasa would “have a significant impact” on its operations. The airline confirmed the cancellation of over 500 long-haul and regional flights.
“We are proactively repositioning some of our aircraft away from Hong Kong,” the airline stated, “and anticipate a staggered, gradual resumption of our flight schedule through Thursday and into Friday, September 25-26.” Cathay Pacific operates a sizable fleet of 179 passenger and freighter planes.
Hong Kong authorities escalated their warning to Typhoon Signal 10, the highest level, early on Wednesday, September 24, effectively urging all businesses and transport services to cease operations.
Relocating aircraft during severe weather or escalating conflict is a standard aviation industry practice. This measure is primarily taken to prevent potential damage and often aligns with insurance policy requirements.
For instance, Flightradar24 data and confirmation from Phnom Penh Techo airport showed that at least 14 Cathay Pacific jets were flown from Hong Kong to Cambodia on Tuesday, September 23, to safely ride out the storm.
Airlines also employ this strategy to ensure aircraft are in position to resume return flights swiftly once adverse weather conditions subside.
When faced with high winds, aircraft can either be secured inside hangars, weighted down with extra fuel, or, in the case of smaller planes, tied down to prevent movement.
Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines, a smaller Hong Kong-based carrier with a fleet of seven aircraft, confirmed it had moved all its planes away from Hong Kong as a crucial safety precaution. Tracking data indicated its Boeing 737s were flown to various airports in Japan and China on Tuesday, September 23.
Similarly, Hong Kong Airlines appeared to have relocated all but one of its 28 aircraft outside of Hong Kong.
Conversely, Cathay Pacific and its low-cost subsidiary H.K. Express chose to keep a larger portion of their fleets within Hong Kong, according to tracking data. While these airlines did not comment on their specific storage methods, Cathay Pacific’s internal publications from 2017 reveal that some planes were stored in Hong Kong airport hangars during past cyclones, while others were indeed sent to alternative locations.