Taipei: Several ferry operators and local airlines announced the suspension of services over the weekend as Tropical Storm Danas approached Taiwan. As of 2 p.m., the storm’s eye was located 390 kilometers west-southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan’s southernmost point, and moving north-northeast at 8 to 11 kilometers per hour.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) reported that the storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 72 km per hour and gusts of up to 101 kph. A sea warning for the storm has already been issued, and a land warning could be issued for Taiwan as early as late Saturday, as the storm’s outer bands begin bringing heavier rain to parts of southeastern Taiwan.
In response to the sea warning, the Kinmen County Harbor Bureau announced the cancellation of ferries on “mini-three links” routes to China. Saturday ferries between Kinmen’s Shuitou Pier and the Shijing Passenger Pier in China’s Quanzhou were suspended as a precaution due to the storm, and the suspension will remain in place on Sunday. Ferries between Kinmen’s Shuitou Pier and the Wutong Ferry Terminal in Xiamen will also be suspended on Sunday.
Lienchiang County ferry operators announced the cancellation of ferries between the county’s Matsu Islands and China. The Matsu’s North-South Ferry Company canceled services on Sunday and Monday due to China’s typhoon response protocols. This includes ferries between Baisha Harbor on Matzu’s northern Beigan Island and Huangqi Port in Fuzhou, China, as well as services between Fuao Harbor in the county’s southern Nangan Island and Fuzhou’s Langqi Harbor. Hsieh Ho Shipping, another Matsu ferry operator, canceled all of its ferries from the two Matsu islands to China’s Fuzhou from Sunday to Tuesday.
Domestically, All Ports Transportation Co., which operates the New Taima Ferry from Keelung City to Matsu, canceled trips starting with the Keelung to Matsu ferry on Saturday evening and the return ferry on Sunday morning. Due to the CWA’s storm forecast, ferry services on Sunday and Monday evenings will likely be suspended as well. In the south, ferries between Pingtung County and Liuqiu Island moved up their schedules due to high waves on Saturday before canceling service.
Aside from sea transportation cancellations, Taiwanese regional airlines UNI Airways and Mandarin Airlines canceled their domestic flights on Sunday. The airlines urged travelers to check their itineraries online before embarking on their trips.
On international flights, Tigerair Taiwan announced several flight changes, mostly moving up flight schedules for Sunday. The budget airline adjusted departure times for several flights including those from Kaohsiung to Okinawa, Kaohsiung to Macau, Macau to Taichung, and Kaohsiung to Tokyo. Tigerair Taiwan stated the revised schedule is subject to change depending on weather conditions and the policies of the respective airports.