Tropical Storm Danas Disrupts Taiwan Travel: Ferry and Airline Services Suspended

Authorities issue warnings as storm approaches, leading to widespread cancellations across sea and air routes.

As Tropical Storm Danas edged closer to Taiwan, numerous ferry operators and domestic airlines announced the suspension of services over the weekend, impacting travel plans for many.

According to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), the storm's eye was positioned approximately 390 kilometers west-southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point. It was observed moving north-northeast at a speed of 8 to 11 kilometers per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 72 km per hour and gusts reaching up to 101 kph.

A sea warning was already in effect, and the CWA indicated that a land warning might be issued for Taiwan as early as Saturday evening, with the storm's outer bands expected to bring heavier rainfall to parts of southeastern Taiwan.

In response to the sea warning, the Kinmen County Harbor Bureau confirmed the cancellation of ferries operating on the "mini-three links" routes connecting Kinmen to mainland China. Specifically, Saturday ferries between Kinmen's Shuitou Pier and China's Quanzhou were suspended, a measure that was set to continue through Sunday. Additionally, ferries scheduled for Sunday between Kinmen's Shuitou Pier and Xiamen's Wutong Ferry Terminal were also called off.

Ferry operators in Lienchiang County also announced the suspension of services between the Matsu Islands and mainland China. Matsu's North-South Ferry Company stated that its services on Sunday and Monday would be canceled, citing China's own typhoon response protocols. This included routes between Baisha Harbor on Beigan Island and Huangqi Port in Fuzhou, as well as services between Fuao Harbor on Nangan Island and Fuzhou's Langqi Harbor.

Another Matsu ferry operator, Hsieh Ho Shipping, declared that all its services from the Matsu Islands to Fuzhou, China, would be suspended from Sunday to Tuesday.

Domestically, All Ports Transportation Co., which operates the New Taima Ferry service between Keelung City and Matsu, announced cancellations starting with the Saturday evening ferry from Keelung to Matsu and the return ferry on Sunday morning. The company also anticipates further suspensions on Sunday and Monday evenings due to the CWA's storm forecast.

In the southern part of the island, ferry services between Pingtung County and Liuqiu Island had their schedules moved forward on Saturday due to high waves, before ultimately canceling all services. While initially planned for Sunday cancellation, the deteriorating sea conditions led ferry companies Taifu Ferry, Leuco Sapphire Shipping, Dongliu Ferry, and Dafu Liuqiu Shipping to advance their schedules. Liu Xin Ferry had already suspended operations for Saturday and Sunday.

Beyond sea transportation, Taiwanese regional airlines UNI Airways and Mandarin Airlines announced the cancellation of all their domestic flights scheduled for Sunday. Both airlines advised passengers to check their flight status online before traveling.

On international routes, Tigerair Taiwan announced adjustments to its flight schedules, primarily moving up departure times for Sunday flights. For instance, the IT288 flight from Kaohsiung to Okinawa was rescheduled to depart at 8:15 a.m. instead of 1 p.m., with the return flight IT289 moving to a 12 p.m. departure from the original 2 p.m. slot. Other adjusted flights included Kaohsiung-Macau (IT321), Macau-Taichung (IT372), Kaohsiung-Tokyo (IT280), and its return leg (IT281). The airline cautioned that these revised schedules remained subject to change based on evolving weather conditions and airport policies.