GUM: Super Typhoon Champi Grounds Guam Flights Into Monday

HAGÅTÑA, Guam, October 18, 2026 — Super Typhoon Champi passed about 10 miles south of Guam early Sunday, October 18, knocking out power to roughly half the island and forcing dozens of cancellations at Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM). Disruption runs into Monday, October 19, with the first restarts listed for Monday afternoon.

What happened

• The storm: Champi’s closest approach came at about 4:26 a.m. local time on October 18, south of Merizo. RNZ reported maximum sustained winds of about 140 mph at that point, as cited by AeroCorner.
• Airport conditions: Winds at the airport were about 45 to 55 mph sustained, with gusts near 80 mph, according to AeroCorner.
• Cancellations: As of about 5 p.m. local time Sunday, the airport’s board showed 35 cancelled arrivals and departures from late Sunday afternoon to midday Monday. United accounted for 19; the rest were Jin Air, Korean Air, Air Seoul, Air Busan, Philippine Airlines and Japan Airlines.
• Named Monday cancellations: United UA200 (Honolulu), UA151 (Osaka) and UA196 (Tokyo Narita), and Philippine Airlines PR111 (Manila), per Rus Tourism News. Early-morning Seoul and Busan flights are also off.
• Power: About half of the island’s power feeders were online Sunday morning. No restoration timeline has been given.
• Emergency status: Guam stayed at Condition of Readiness 1, its highest level, after the storm passed. A federal emergency declaration was approved on Sunday. Residents and visitors were told to stay indoors until the readiness level is lowered.

When flights restart

The airport authority says GUM stays open during storms and each airline decides whether to fly, so listed times are not guaranteed. Full reopening of normal schedules: TBA.

United waiver

United’s waiver covers tickets bought on or before October 14 for travel October 15–19 to or from Guam, Saipan, Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Kwajalein and Majuro. Customers can rebook on United flights departing October 14–25 with no change fee or fare difference if the cabin and cities stay the same.

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What it means for non-revs

• Expect full flights all week. Thirty-five cancellations on an island with limited daily service means a backlog of passengers on the first flights out of Guam and on routes to the other islands named in United’s waiver. Standby chances will be poor at least through midweek.
• Do not position to Guam right now. With power at about half and the island under shelter orders, wait until the readiness level drops and hotels confirm they are running normally.
• Watch Tokyo, Seoul and Manila too. Inbound flights from Narita, Osaka, Incheon, Busan and Manila were cancelled, so loads on the return legs into those cities will be heavy as well.
• Re-check before every leg. Restart times have slipped after past typhoons, so confirm the flight is operating before you head to the airport.

Sources

• AeroCorner — Typhoon Champi Guam Flight Cancellations
• Rus Tourism News — Super Typhoon Champi Leaves Half of Guam Without Power as Flight Cancellations Extend Into Monday
• Rus Tourism News — Guam Flights Cancelled Across United, Japan Airlines and Korean Air as Typhoon Champi Approaches