Typhoon Bavi forces SIA and Scoot to cancel Taiwan flights

Several Singapore Airlines and Scoot flights between Singapore and Taiwan have been cancelled or rescheduled as Super Typhoon Bavi sweeps toward the island, disrupting air travel across the region just as peak summer traffic builds.

Flights between Singapore and Taiwan pulled from schedules

According to published airline notices and regional media reports, Singapore Airlines has cancelled at least two Taipei–Singapore services scheduled over the weekend of July 11 and 12, aligning its operations with Taiwan’s tightening weather advisories. The affected flights include connections in both directions on key trunk routes linking Taipei Taoyuan International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport, a corridor heavily used by business and leisure travellers.

Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, has also removed several services touching Taiwan from its near-term schedules, public booking data and airport departure boards indicate. Some Scoot flights operating via Taipei to onward points in North Asia have been withdrawn, reflecting growing concern over the projected track and intensity of the storm as it approaches northern Taiwan.

Information published by Taiwan’s civil aviation authorities and local outlets shows that the cancellations by Singapore-based carriers are part of a much broader pullback, with dozens of regional and long-haul flights scrubbed as the system edges closer. Carriers from Taiwan, China and Southeast Asia have similarly adjusted timetables, prioritising safety and aircraft positioning ahead of Bavi’s forecast landfall in the wider region.

Passengers booked on the affected Singapore Airlines and Scoot flights are being offered a range of options under the airlines’ standard disruption policies, including rebooking on later dates and, in some cases, refunds or travel credits. Publicly available guidance from both carriers urges customers to monitor their booking status through mobile apps and official channels rather than heading directly to the airport.

Super Typhoon Bavi closes in on Taiwan

Data from Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration and international meteorological centres show Bavi strengthening over warm Pacific waters and reaching super typhoon intensity earlier in the week before beginning a gradual weakening trend. Forecast tracks place the storm’s core skirting or crossing near northern Taiwan, with the most severe conditions expected between late Friday and Saturday.

Reports from Taiwan and the wider region describe maximum sustained winds that earlier exceeded 200 kilometres per hour and a broad wind field capable of generating heavy rain, storm surges and disruptive gusts far from the storm centre. Even as Bavi is downgraded from its peak classification, its size and speed mean that damaging conditions can extend across major population hubs around Taipei and northern coastal areas.

Authorities in Taiwan have pre-emptively shut schools in parts of the capital, halted many ferry services to outlying islands and warned of potential landslides in mountainous terrain. Public information from emergency operations centres indicates that transport hubs, including Taoyuan International Airport and Taipei Songshan Airport, are on heightened alert, with contingency plans for prolonged disruption if the storm stalls or tracks closer to land than currently projected.

Neighbouring territories in East Asia are also preparing for impacts as Bavi continues its path toward the Chinese mainland. Forecast models suggest the system will bring prolonged heavy rain to parts of eastern China after passing Taiwan, raising the risk of flooding, power outages and secondary travel interruptions across a wide area.

Regional air and sea travel heavily disrupted

Across Taiwan, transportation briefings compiled by local broadcasters and news agencies show that more than a thousand flights have been cancelled or delayed over several days as Bavi approaches. Numerous domestic services, including links to offshore islands such as Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, have been suspended in line with standard typhoon protocols.

International carriers with significant operations at Taoyuan International Airport, including EVA Air, China Airlines and Starlux Airlines, have pulled multiple departures and arrivals, while also publishing flexible ticket-change policies. Low-cost and regional operators serving routes to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia have followed suit, with some airlines warning of rolling adjustments as weather updates come in.

Sea transport has also been hit. Publicly available ferry schedules show widespread cancellations on routes connecting Taiwan’s main island with outlying communities, as well as selected inter-island services. Port authorities are prioritising vessel safety and have advised shippers and passengers to anticipate multi-day disruptions while swells and high winds persist.

Ground transport links to major airports are under close watch. In several municipalities, temporary closures of bridges and coastal roads have been implemented or flagged as likely, depending on changing wind speeds and rainfall rates. Travellers are being advised through local media to allow extra time to reach airports and to stay informed on any road or rail restrictions that might affect their journey.

Airlines activate waiver policies and urge digital monitoring

In response to the evolving situation, airlines across the region, including those in Taiwan and on the Chinese mainland, have rolled out special ticket-handling measures. Notices by several carriers outline fee waivers for date changes on flights scheduled during the height of Bavi’s impact, permitting passengers to shift travel to later in July without usual penalties, subject to seat availability.

Singapore Airlines and Scoot are applying their standard disruption frameworks, which allow rebooking or refunds for cancelled services. While detailed terms vary by ticket type, public guidance consistently emphasises the use of digital channels as the primary way for travellers to manage changes, both to ease call-centre congestion and to ensure that customers receive the most up-to-date information.

Regional carriers are similarly steering passengers toward airline websites, mobile apps and automated messaging systems, where live status boards and push notifications can be updated as conditions evolve. This approach reflects lessons from previous typhoon seasons, when sudden shifts in storm tracks forced multiple rounds of schedule changes within hours.

Travel agents and online booking platforms are reporting a spike in itinerary modifications, with some passengers opting to bring forward departures to leave Taiwan before the worst of the weather, while others are postponing trips entirely. Industry watchers note that Bavi’s timing, arriving in the middle of the summer travel period, adds another layer of complexity to already tight capacity on some regional routes.

What travellers between Singapore and Taiwan should expect

For travellers booked on Singapore Airlines or Scoot services between Singapore and Taiwan over the coming days, industry advisories recommend assuming that additional short-notice changes remain possible. Even if specific flights are still listed as operating, aircraft rotations and air-traffic control restrictions can lead to last-minute delays or cancellations as Bavi’s outer bands affect flight paths.

Passengers are encouraged by travel industry bodies and consumer advocates to reconfirm flight status several hours before leaving for the airport, using official airline tools rather than third-party trackers alone. Keeping contact details current in bookings can help ensure that rebooking options or gate changes are communicated quickly if operations are disrupted.

Those with connecting itineraries through Singapore Changi Airport face particular exposure. If a Taipei–Singapore leg is cancelled or significantly delayed, onward long-haul flights to Europe, North America or Australia may be missed. Many carriers have policies that allow re-accommodation on the next available service in such cases, but seat constraints mean that travellers may need to be flexible about departure times, routings or even dates.

Travel insurance with coverage for weather-related disruptions can provide some financial protection, including reimbursement of additional accommodation, meals or rebooking costs, depending on policy terms. However, insurers typically require that the policy be in place before a storm becomes a named system, so travellers are being reminded by consumer groups to review coverage details carefully before filing claims related to Bavi’s impact.