Typhoon Champi shuts Taiwan, cancels flights and disrupts US-Japan Keen Sword drills
Representative image: ArminEP / Pixabay
Typhoon Champi forced Taiwan to cancel all 262 domestic and 669 international flights on 23 October 2026 and disrupted the US-Japan Keen Sword exercise involving about 56,000 personnel.
What Happened
Flights across Taiwan and southern Japan were cancelled on Thursday and Friday, 22 and 23 October 2026, as Typhoon Champi approached, and the storm disrupted Keen Sword, a large joint military exercise between the United States and Japan. Taiwan's transport ministry said all 262 domestic flights and 669 international flights were cancelled for Friday, after 125 cancellations on Thursday. Taiwan issued a land warning on 22 October and largely shut down ahead of the storm, which had weakened from super typhoon strength. The US military said Keen Sword training was "being adjusted on a day-to-day basis to ensure the safety of all participants".
Key Facts
- Taiwan flights: 125 cancellations on 22 October, mostly domestic; all 262 domestic and 669 international flights cancelled for 23 October, according to the transport ministry.
- Japan: Japan Airlines, ANA and Skymark cancelled more than 100 flights, mostly domestic, from Thursday to Sunday, affecting more than 11,000 passengers.
- The storm, known in the Philippines as Rosal, had weakened from super typhoon status but had a wind radius of about 320 km, wide enough to cover most of Taiwan.
- Forecasters expected it to pass just off north-eastern Taiwan before turning north towards the Chinese coast and southern Japan, including Yonaguni island in Okinawa Prefecture. Reports differed on whether it would make direct landfall.
- Keen Sword, held every two years, involves about 56,000 Japanese and US personnel.
- Taiwan's rail network kept running and no evacuations had been reported as of Thursday.
Why It Matters
Typhoons are a regular part of autumn in the western Pacific, but Champi's path takes it across one of the most strategically sensitive areas in the world. The waters between Taiwan, China's coast and Japan's southern islands are where US, Japanese and Chinese military activity is most concentrated. Keen Sword is one of the largest exercises the US and Japan hold together, designed to practise defending Japan's south-western islands, which lie close to Taiwan.
Disruption to the exercise is a reminder that weather can limit military operations as much as planning can. Adjusting training day by day, as the US military described, means some planned air and sea manoeuvres may be postponed or cut. For the two allies, the exercise is also a political signal of their readiness to work together in the region.
For civilians, the larger impact is on travel and the economy. Taiwan is home to the world's most important semiconductor manufacturing industry, and businesses there routinely shut offices during strong typhoons. Cancelling every domestic flight and hundreds of international ones disrupts business travel and air cargo across the region for at least two days. Experts quoted in reports said the storm's effects could last nearly two days.
For Indian travellers and businesses with links to Taiwan and Japan, including students and technology firms, the cancellations mean delays and rebookings this weekend. Airlines generally allow changes without penalty during such weather events, but passengers should check directly with their carrier.
| Place | Disruption reported |
|---|---|
| Taiwan, 22 October | 125 flight cancellations, mostly domestic |
| Taiwan, 23 October | all 262 domestic and 669 international flights cancelled |
| Japan, 22 to 25 October | more than 100 flights cancelled by JAL, ANA and Skymark |
| Keen Sword exercise | training adjusted day by day |
Impact
Short-term: Air travel to, from and within Taiwan is largely halted on 23 October, with knock-on delays in southern Japan through the weekend. Military training in Keen Sword is being scaled to conditions.
Long-term: The storm is expected to weaken further as it moves north. Its main lasting effects are likely to be any damage from rain and wind and the rescheduling of exercise activities.
Who is affected: Residents and travellers in Taiwan and Okinawa, airlines and air-cargo operators, Japanese and US military personnel taking part in Keen Sword, and businesses whose supply chains run through Taiwan.
Key Takeaway
Typhoon Champi brought Taiwan's flights to a halt on 23 October 2026, forced more than 100 cancellations in Japan and disrupted the 56,000-strong US-Japan Keen Sword exercise.
Questions and Answers
How many flights were cancelled because of Typhoon Champi?
Taiwan cancelled all 262 domestic and 669 international flights for 23 October 2026, after 125 cancellations on 22 October. In Japan, JAL, ANA and Skymark cancelled more than 100 flights from 22 to 25 October.
Did Typhoon Champi make landfall in Taiwan?
Reports differed. Forecasters expected it to pass just off north-eastern Taiwan before turning north, but some reports said a direct landfall was still possible.
What is Keen Sword?
A joint military exercise held every two years by Japan and the United States, involving about 56,000 personnel this year. The US military said training was being adjusted daily because of the storm.
What should travellers do?
Check flight status directly with the airline, as cancellations continued through the weekend in parts of Japan. Airlines usually allow rebooking during severe weather.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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