Taiwan flight cancellations continued on Oct. 24, 2026, after Typhoon Champi brought strong winds and rain to the island, disrupting international and domestic travel. Taoyuan International Airport reported 563 canceled flights on Friday and another 261 by 10:15 a.m. Saturday, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.
The Saturday totals were snapshots rather than a final accounting of the storm’s entire impact. Flights began returning at some regional airports as conditions improved, but airlines warned passengers that schedules could continue changing during the Oct. 24–26 holiday period.
The storm affected ferry services as well as aircraft operations. Travelers at Penghu Airport faced a backlog of passengers waiting for seats after Friday’s cancellations, illustrating how disruptions can continue after weather warnings ease.
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How Taiwan flight cancellations developed
Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration said 977 flights had been canceled by Friday morning, including 262 domestic and 715 international or cross-strait flights, CNA reported on Oct. 23. That earlier nationwide total covers a different time window from the later figures released by Taoyuan Airport and should not be added to them as though the counts were separate.
A Friday airport statement had listed 596 Taoyuan cancellations between midnight and 9 a.m., while the subsequent daily figures described 563 cancellations during Friday. The counts were compiled at different moments and with potentially different operational definitions. The latest October 24 airport update is the more relevant indicator of continuing disruption.
Tigerair Taiwan published multiple flight advisories identifying canceled and delayed services. Its Oct. 23 update listed affected routes to Japan and South Korea, including Okinawa, Osaka and Jeju, alongside adjustments to other regional services. Such airline-specific notices provide a more useful guide for booked travelers than island-wide statistics alone.
EVA Air and Starlux also announced changes around the storm, according to CNA. Operators’ responses varied by route, aircraft movement and anticipated weather windows. The existence of a weather disruption does not mean that every flight at each airport was canceled.
How island and international services were affected
At Penghu Airport, more than 1,000 passengers were seeking standby seats after Friday’s flight cancellations between the islands and Taiwan’s mainland, CNA reported on Oct. 24. Airlines scheduled 30 services on Saturday afternoon, with additional flights intended to help reduce the backlog.
Transport authorities also arranged additional ferry capacity. Three extra sailings between Kaohsiung and Penghu were planned to assist approximately 1,300 passengers, according to the same report. The substitution of maritime capacity demonstrates that recovery can require coordination beyond a single airport terminal.
At Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the disruption cut expected Saturday passenger traffic for the holiday weekend. Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency estimated about 114,000 passengers would pass through the airport that day, below the airport’s earlier projection of 157,000.
Those figures describe projected passenger throughput rather than a verified number of stranded travelers. A lower daily forecast may reflect cancellations, delayed journeys and changes in travelers’ decisions, not just passengers physically waiting inside terminals.
What passengers should verify before traveling
Tropical weather can disrupt an airline network even after winds subside at the point of departure. Aircraft and crews may be out of position, connecting passengers may be delayed and airport handling schedules may need rebuilding. The reviewed sources do not establish the exact recovery time for every affected route.
Passengers should consult the operating airline’s live flight-status page and direct notifications before leaving for the airport. Airline advisories are particularly important where services have been rescheduled rather than simply canceled.
The storm’s public-safety impact extended beyond air travel, but the aviation story is the operational scale of cancellations and the restoration of schedules. The Oct. 25 reports describe Champi moving away from Taiwan, not a guarantee that every scheduled flight is operating normally.
FAQ: Taiwan flight cancellations
How many Taiwan flight cancellations were reported at Taoyuan?
The airport reported 563 canceled flights on Oct. 23 and a further 261 by 10:15 a.m. Oct. 24. Those figures may change as later airport reports are issued.
Were domestic flights also affected by Champi?
Yes. Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration reported domestic cancellations, while Penghu Airport faced a major passenger backlog as island services restarted.
Are airlines now operating every scheduled Taiwan flight?
The available reports do not establish a complete restoration of schedules. Travelers should check individual airline flight-status notices for their route.
TAD previously covered the earlier Japan–Taiwan flight disruptions caused by Champi; the airport figures above describe the subsequent October 24 developments.
Looking Ahead
Airport and airline recovery notices will establish how quickly schedules normalize during the October holiday period. No definitive network-wide recovery hour was confirmed in the source material reviewed for this article.
Sources
- CNA / Focus Taiwan, Oct. 24 — Champi disrupts air and sea travel
- CNA / Focus Taiwan, Oct. 23 — Aviation administration cancellation counts
- Tigerair Taiwan — October 23 and 24 typhoon flight notices
- Taipei Times, Oct. 25 — Transportation disruption as Champi leaves
