Typhoon Saola caused quite the commotion in Hong Kong on Friday, and it’s the worst storm that Hong Kong has seen in five years. Ahead of the storm, Hong Kong issued a typhoon signal number 10, which is the highest warning level, suggesting hurricane force winds. Along those lines, one Ethiopian Airlines flight has understandably gotten quite a bit of attention.
In this post:
Ethiopian 787 flies to Hong Kong ahead of typhoon
On Friday, most operations at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) were suspended in preparation for Typhoon Saola.
For example, Cathay Pacific canceled all arriving and departing flights between 2PM on Friday and 10AM on Saturday. The only exception was CX840 from Hong Kong to New York (JFK), which was scheduled to depart at 4:15PM, but ended up departing 75 minutes ahead of schedule, at 3PM.
Cathay Pacific wasn’t alone, as virtually all other airlines canceled flights to and from the airport. If you look at the arrivals and departures for the airport on Friday, you’ll see there were dozens and dozens of cancelations. There was one exception, though.
Ethiopian Airlines flight ET608 from Bangkok (BKK) to Hong Kong (HKG) landed in Hong Kong at 5:06PM. The previous flight to land at the airport was CX363, which arrived from Shanghai (PVG) at 1:40PM. So the plane landed nearly 3.5 hours after the previous passenger jet arrival, and there are were other arrivals for the rest of the evening.
For what it’s worth, this Ethiopian Airlines flight was operated by a three year old Boeing 787-9 with the registration code ET-AXK. The plane took off from Bangkok at 2:46PM Hong Kong time, so that was over an hour after the previous plane even touched down in Hong Kong. The plane landed safely in Hong Kong after a 2hr20min flight, and didn’t even perform a go around.
I don’t want to suggest that Ethiopian Airlines was reckless for having a flight land in Hong Kong when all other airlines made the operational decision to cancel flights. At the time the plane landed, conditions weren’t yet typhoon-like, but were rather more on par with a regular storm.
However, this seemed to me like a very strange operational decision. Admittedly all airlines have their own standards they use for making operational decisions, but why was Ethiopian Airlines seemingly in a league of its own in deciding to continue operations?
Well, there’s an interesting update on that front…
Ethiopian 787 tries to depart Hong Kong during typhoon
As I said, I don’t judge Ethiopian Airlines’ decision to fly into Hong Kong. What I do judge is what happened next…
After this particular flight landed in Hong Kong, Ethiopian Airlines ordinarily operates flight ET609 from Hong Kong back to Bangkok. The flight was scheduled to depart at 10:40PM, which was literally during the peak of the typhoon, when the government was advising people to stay home.
Despite that, Ethiopian maintained its schedule for the 10:40PM departure. The website hk01.com has the story of how passengers tried to contact the airline to rebook for the following day, but were told that rebookings weren’t possible, since the flight was still scheduled to operate.
As a result, many travelers still headed to the airport and through security, where the flight continued to show as operating on-time (unlike literally every other flight). Well, finally at 10:08PM, 32 minutes ahead of schedule, passengers received emails indicating that the flight was canceled. This was announced at the gate at 10:15PM, 25 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time.
Passengers were told that the flight had been rescheduled for the next day, and they’d have to take it then. They didn’t provide the option of being accommodated on another flight, or rescheduling the flight for a different time.
It’s both reckless and horrible customer service to have people schlep out to the airport in the peak of a typhoon, only to then cancel the flight after boarding was scheduled to start.
I had wondered what Ethiopian Airlines knew that other airlines didn’t know when it flew into Hong Kong. I guess the answer is simply that the airline had no strategy, and just kept trying to operate until it was impossible.
You’d think the airline would have minimized operational disruptions and protected the safety of passengers by simply canceling the Bangkok to Hong Kong to Bangkok tag flight, and flying the plane back to Addis Ababa with those who were booked on that sector.
Bottom line
Ethiopian Airlines’ decision to fly into Hong Kong ahead of Typhoon Saola was strange, but not reckless, since it was ahead of the peak of the storm. What’s unacceptable, though, is that the airline kept its flight out of Hong Kong scheduled during the worst of the typhoon. The airline forced people to travel at the airport against government advisories, only to (of course) cancel the flight within an hour of departure.
The airline industry ordinarily operates under the philosophy of erring on the side of caution, though it’s hard to think that this is what Ethiopian was doing here.
What do you make of this Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Hong Kong flight?
This article felt like I was reading something right out of the Tabloids
Ethiopian is not on my travel plans.
Marine engineer here. Terminology is flawed. Cyclone is the generic/global terma. Hurricane is what we use in North America. Typhoon is the term used in most parts of Aisa.
Pure stupidity with a touch of naïveté!
Although this example seems a bit extreme given that the flight would have taken off in a super typhoon, I think this is actually standard practice across the airline industry. I have been on several flights that were clearly going to be delayed or cancelled that still showed "on time" AFTER the scheduled take off time, without having started boarding.
My most egregious specific example was a BA flight from Washington DC (Dulles) to...
Although this example seems a bit extreme given that the flight would have taken off in a super typhoon, I think this is actually standard practice across the airline industry. I have been on several flights that were clearly going to be delayed or cancelled that still showed "on time" AFTER the scheduled take off time, without having started boarding.
My most egregious specific example was a BA flight from Washington DC (Dulles) to Germany via Heathrow. The 10pm flight showed on time up until 10:02pm even though the cabin crew never boarded and the lights in the plane sitting we were to board were off. It wasn't even being prepped to fly! They then announced the flight was cancelled because it had been struck by lightning on the way from Heathrow to Dulles (a 7ish hour flight?) and FAA regulations state a plane must be grounded for at least 24 hours after a lightning strike for inspection before flying again. That means they knew before any of us had even checked in that the flight was not going to fly, but they still had us go through the song and dance. It took another 2-3 hours to get all of our checked luggage back and stuff us into shuttles off to various hotels. What a miserable experience!
I suspect they did this so they can claim weather/act of God and not have to pay any compensation, whereas a cancelled flight would have entitled everyone to refunds, rebooking options, etc. But who knows....
Your last paragraph is nonsense as they knew the cause as you alluded to at the start. The reason they didn’t cancel immediately was probably due to the fact they thought any technical issues could be resolved, perhaps with a delay. Unfortunately they couldn’t within I specified time frame.
You still had the right to accommodation, rebooking or a refund if you decided not to travel.
Your guess sounds right, Lucky! When in doubt, assume incompetence.
"As I said, I don’t judge Ethiopian Airlines’ decision to fly into Hong Kong."
Didnt you write a whole story doing just that? Which you now seem to have removed and replaced with this one.
Yes - why was that article taken down with no explanation?
Censorship is alive everywhere.
Hey Ben,
I sent you a link on instagram to the press article by The Hindu, where they interviewed Lufthansa team. Lufthansa is bringing its A380 back to India from Summer 2024.
Being here in HK, the Typhoon Saola was pretty bad. it was a rough night here between 8pm and 3am with strong wind and heavy rain. At 5:40pm, I would say that while wind was strengthening, the plane could land safely, as the heavy rain hadn't even started yet. The problem was the return segment.
Cathay and most airlines cancelled all flights after 4pm because they needed time to send staffs to a safe...
Being here in HK, the Typhoon Saola was pretty bad. it was a rough night here between 8pm and 3am with strong wind and heavy rain. At 5:40pm, I would say that while wind was strengthening, the plane could land safely, as the heavy rain hadn't even started yet. The problem was the return segment.
Cathay and most airlines cancelled all flights after 4pm because they needed time to send staffs to a safe place/home and passengers would have difficulties finding transportations to and from the airport. Insurance for taxi is gone after Typhoon signal No 8 and above are hoisted sso most drivers asked for surcharges. Uber did not even allow any drivers to work after No 8 and above signal are hoisted. When I turned on Uber app, there was no car available. Airport Express was the only mean but you have to get to Hong Kong/Kowloon/Tsing Yi station first.
I would say things began to turn rough after 8pm and the winds were just crazily strong. I honestly did not think any flights could land or takeoff after that time. My guess was that the pilots thought they could take off during that short time frame when the eye of the storm passed. But at 10pm, the wind was roaring outside my Wanchai's home and I was not even facing the direction of the wind or by the coast.
Honestly given the long turnaround time at HKG, most of the crews started fresh from Bangkok anyway. They could easily moved the departure time up to 7pm. Local staffs can call all passengers, and knowing the African passengers, they were all possibly at the airports super early since they usually brought home plenty of bags. I would say that they would be able to take off before 7:30pm. I believe that both CX and SQ actually moved up departure times of a number of their flights so they could get out before the storm hits.
Ethiopian Airlines' decision to fly into HKG during Typhoon Saola is reckless not because of the actual flying, but because of endangering passengers, who had to travel to and from the airport, and then all airport hotel rooms were just full by evening. After 10pm, I could not imagine it was safe for anyone to go home or even leave the premise of the airport anymore. Those passengers were stuck at the airport with limited food and beverage. All restaurants and shops were possibly closed by then with a few exceptions. Staffs possibly just sheltered at the airport or nearby shelters set up by companies. I am actually curious where the crews went because I could not imagine ET being able to find hotel rooms and even transportation to and from the airport at 10pm. Regal was attached to the hotel but could not imagine that it had any spare rooms. I know ET possibly has a hotel contact but possibly in the city.
This story told us why CX and other airlines do certain things in the face of a major typhoon in Hong Kong and other major Asian cities. When CX made the decision to shut down operations between 4pm and 11am, there was a good reason.
CX also needed to evacuate all planes out of harm from HKG. This required firmer planning with a timeframe compared to other carriers operating just a plane into then out of HKG. Evacuating a fleet is usually needed when winds above 50 knots are expected (equivalent to No. 9 or 10 in HK), so it’s not a yearly kind of occurrence.
In October 2000, on an EVA flight to TPE we flew over/through a typhoon that was like a car wash at altitude. Arrived and went to BKK. The next afternoon I saw the Bangkok Post pictures of the SQ 006 crash. Yes they tried to take off on the wrong runway but that typhoon was there at the time. It is something I won't forget. Only a few hours can make a difference when there is a massive storm. So yes, it seems a bit irresponsible to bet against mother nature.
Nothing wrong with this landing.
In summary, this 'news' is all about pax who were inconvenienced by a non-departure. No reckless take-off in typhoon conditions. No plane crash. No danger to anyone. No injuries. No lives lost. Just inconvenience. Ha! You've all been trolled on a slow news day. Yet again!
Isn’t it reckless to drag your pax to the airport DURING typhoon conditions because you refuse to cancel or postpone the flight, or rebook your concerned pax on to other flights after the typhoon? Totally unacceptable behaviour by the airline. What if the flight had gone ahead and ended in tragedy, with many pax seemingly boarding under duress? Do we really want to set these sorts of precedents for airlines to make unsafe decisions, pax be damned?
I totally agree with Jhon this story is all about pssanger inconvenience which happens thousands of times a year I dare say in all the airlines of the world you can take the winter operations in the northern hemisphere....KWC I am not sure if your are familiar with the aviation industry just because the passengers are on board dose not mean the aircraft is going to take off in the middle of a typhoon...there are...
I totally agree with Jhon this story is all about pssanger inconvenience which happens thousands of times a year I dare say in all the airlines of the world you can take the winter operations in the northern hemisphere....KWC I am not sure if your are familiar with the aviation industry just because the passengers are on board dose not mean the aircraft is going to take off in the middle of a typhoon...there are many check and balances for instance the airport authorities will not allow the take off ie the airort was closed in this instance another check is the pilots who are not allowed to takeoff or land in conditions which bust the limitations set by the operator and manufacturer!
Inconvenienced seems like a *major* understatement
You okay?
I find that this story does not add up. There is no way the flight could have departed during the typhoon because the airport would have closed down.
The airport remained open
I saw a post saying that HK airport authority didn't allow the plane to refill fuel and also didn't permit the ground staff to upload check in luggages on the tarmac under that kind of extreme weather
I’m interested to see whether Sean M. will comment in defense of Ethiopian airlines’ operational decisions in this instance.
Ethiopian has released their own statement. It is not for me to defend them or otherwise.
https://www.facebook.com/EthiopianAirlines.official/posts/pfbid026xryLrGBAsBrUdVGyu5FEQvQifUFPZ8AV9gfadCzwqVQ12yE1TJsZufP4NZPwDv5l
Apparently, it is also not for Ethiopian Airlines to defend itself re its treatment of passengers on the flight departing HKG, as they offer no defense in that post.
There is nothing to defend. They are clarifying the facts.
They were able to land safely in conditions that were within operating limits. The return flight was delayed as conditions were outside operating limits.
That's all there is to the "story".
LOL.
This is ridiculous. Ethiopian Airlines should be ashamed of themselves for trying to depart during a typhoon.
It wasn’t during. It was before. If it was during the airport would have been closed due to a NOTAM.
You're referring to ET608.
ET609 was literally trying to operate right in the middle of the typhoon.
@Icarus reading comprehension fail.
On your part. If you can read, it states “ ahead” ie before
It happened too when typhoon 10 hit HK in 2018 - a KLM flight landed, only for passengers to wait 5 hours for baggage due to poor weather and baggage cargo doors couldn’t be opened, and the return flight cancelled last minute as well. It was on the news too.
World class aire line in the world.
This blog is titled correctly ;)
Unlike in the US, I believe passengers in HK expect that airlines would provide accommodation (and more) when flights are cancelled, even due to factors beyond airlines control. I was stuck in HK due to a typhoon a few years ago and Cathay provided top quality hotel accommodation (Hotel ICON) with meals, taxi fares, and even some spending money for every passenger. Perhaps cynically, by getting passengers to the airport and trapped them there during...
Unlike in the US, I believe passengers in HK expect that airlines would provide accommodation (and more) when flights are cancelled, even due to factors beyond airlines control. I was stuck in HK due to a typhoon a few years ago and Cathay provided top quality hotel accommodation (Hotel ICON) with meals, taxi fares, and even some spending money for every passenger. Perhaps cynically, by getting passengers to the airport and trapped them there during the storm, Ethiopian can avoid paying for those expenses.
“ You’d think the airline would have minimized operational disruptions and protected the safety of passengers by simply canceling the Bangkok to Hong Kong to Bangkok tag flight, and flying the plane back to Addis Ababa with those who were booked on that sector.”
That would definitely not have minimized operational disruptions. Flying on to HK, which they did, minimized the disruptions.
That’s completely separate from making people go to the airport in a typhoon...
“ You’d think the airline would have minimized operational disruptions and protected the safety of passengers by simply canceling the Bangkok to Hong Kong to Bangkok tag flight, and flying the plane back to Addis Ababa with those who were booked on that sector.”
That would definitely not have minimized operational disruptions. Flying on to HK, which they did, minimized the disruptions.
That’s completely separate from making people go to the airport in a typhoon for the next flight that was canceled. That could obviously have been better handled.
Nothing happened so it’s a non story. Like a Daily Mail headline.
I doubt the passengers who were required to travel to the airport for that specific flight during a typhoon would agree it was a non story.
@Icarus - Mesfin, is that you?
I'm surprised that an airport like HKG i.e. don't have (use) authority to allow or not any movement "in their own house." I remember it was quite diferent during the pandemic.
However, I'm not surprised at all that it is an African Carrier who ignores everything which is followed by others and still do their own thing.
Salute to the pilots of Ethiopian airlines who are highly trained. But, very disappointed on the airlines to put the safety of the passenger and puting their employees in a stressful situation.
I think airports also have not only the rigth but also the responsibility to save lives. So, Ethiopian Airlines's irresponsible action is disgusting but mailyn Hong kong's civil aviation but to a lesser extent thai's also depicted rceklessness for risking lives