Hundreds of flight cancellations rain down due to Muifa
China Eastern staffers secure an aircraft on the tarmac at the Pudong airport.
More than half of the flights at Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports were cancelled on Wednesday due to the approaching typhoon Muifa.
With rainstorms and gales brought by Muifa, said to be one of the strongest typhoons this year, about 600 flights had been canceled at both airports by Wednesday at noon, the Shanghai Airport Authority said.
At Pudong airport, which is expected to be more affected by the typhoon than Hongqiao, around 320 inbound and outbound flights have been cancelled and several others delayed.
About 260 domestic flights have been cancelled at Hongqiao airport, according to operational data at both airports.
Muifa is expected to make a landing on the coast of neighboring Zhejiang Province sometime between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, unleashing gales and showers, according to the National Meteorological Bureau.
China Eastern Airlines has cancelled more than 480 flights between Tuesday and Thursday at airports in Shanghai, Ningbo and Hangzhou in Zhejiang, and Wuxi and Changzhou in Jiangsu Province.
The Shanghai-based carrier has moved 137 aircraft away from Shanghai's two airports, while the remaining 115 planes have been fueled up and secured to the tarmacs at Pudong and Hongqiao airports.
Spring Airlines has cancelled more than 30 flights at Shanghai's two airports and is offering full refunds to travelers.
All flights at airports in Zhejiang's Ningbo, Zhoushan and Taizhou were cancelled on Wednesday.
A cargo aircraft at Pudong airport prepares for typhoon Muifa.
