A powerful storm once rated a super typhoon is ripping through flight and ferry schedules across the western Pacific. Typhoon Champi, still producing gusts above 227km/h near its centre, prompted Taiwan to issue a land warning on 22 October 2026 and has left airlines scrambling to rebook thousands of passengers.

The numbers are substantial. Taiwan's transport ministry counted 125 cancellations on 22 October alone, mostly domestic. Japan's big carriers — JAL, ANA and Skymark — have scrapped more than 100 flights between 22 and 25 October, hitting over 11,000 passengers, with Okinawa and its outlying islands bearing the brunt. Airports affected include Naha, Miyako, Ishigaki, Yonaguni, Kumejima and several smaller island strips. ANA cancelled every flight to and from Miyako and Ishigaki on 23 October.

International links are disrupted too. China Airlines and Tigerair Taiwan pulled services to Okinawa, Singapore Airlines cancelled four Singapore–Taipei rotations on 23 October (SQ876–879), and Hong Kong carriers — including HK Express with 10 cancelled flights and Hong Kong Airlines with two to Okinawa — have moved or dropped more than a dozen services, with more changes expected.

For anyone island-hopping in the Yaeyama chain, the news is worse still. Ferry operator Anei Kanko suspended all routes on 22–23 October, and high-speed boats to Hateruma plus the Uehara and Hatoma routes have been stopped since 21 October, with no confirmed restart date. Ishigaki authorities have told visitors to stay in safe accommodation, warned of possible shop closures and power cuts, and urged people to stay off beaches entirely.

The storm's wind radius stretched to 320km — wide enough to cover most of Taiwan — with coastal areas facing waves over six metres and northern mountains near Taipei bracing for close to a metre of rain. Champi was tracking past northeastern Taiwan towards waters off China's coast and then southern Japan, meaning impacts could stretch across nearly two days and schedules will keep shifting.

If you're flying through Taiwan, Okinawa or Japan's southwestern islands in the next few days, check your airline's official flight-status page before heading to the airport, make sure your contact details are current so alerts reach you, and read the rebooking and refund rules before booking anything new yourself. Travellers on remote islands should build in serious buffer time — when ferries stop, alternatives are thin on the ground. Anyone who booked via an agent or partner airline should go back to the original booking provider for changes. The practical advice from the industry side: expect ripple effects on connecting flights and hotels even after the storm clears, and follow official meteorological warnings rather than a static itinerary.

Credit: Karryon