As Hong Kong recovers, Hurricane Harvey threatens Texas logistics

A day after Hong Kong’s cargo operations were buffeted by Typhoon Hato, the southern coast of the United States is bracing for the landfall ofHurricane Harvey, with airfreight operations standing by to accommodate potential disruptions.

The National Hurricane Center said it expects Harvey to become a Category 3 storm once it makes landfall on the Texas coast on Friday or Saturday this week, bringing winds in excess of 178 kilometers per hour and between 10 and 30 inches of rain.

UPS Public Relations Manager Jim Mayer told Air Cargo World that, while It’s too early to tell what impact Harvey might have, “UPS Airlines has a team of five full-time meteorologists who monitor weather conditions worldwide. They work hand-in-hand with our Contingency group, which manages any events with the potential to affect service.”

Delta is already warning of disruptions into and out of Houston.

Across the globe, aircraft departures at Hong Kong International Airport are returning to normal as Typhoon Hato moves inland. Gusts reaching up to 207 kilometers per hour shut down logistics operations on the island, leading to the cancellation of more than 400 flights, including cargo operations by AirBridgeCargo, Aerologic, China Airlines, FedEx, Hong Kong Airlines, Hong Kong Air Cargo, Qatar Airways, SF Airlines, TNT Airways, Yangtze River Express and others.

UPS said that Typhoon Hato resulted in “operational difficulties in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.” Mayer said that, “several flights were cancelled as the storm passed through the region. The disruption lasted less than day, however, and due to the flexibility of UPS’s network, our operations are already back to normal.”