A number of Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet flights bound for Taiwan have been canceled or rescheduled due to the impact of Typhoon Koinu, which made landfall in southern Taiwan on Thursday morning.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on Thursday canceled two flights--VN587, VN581--departing from the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

The carrier will use wide-body aircraft like Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 for its flights to Kaohsiung on Thursday night and Friday morning, a Vietnam Airlines representative added.

Local budget airline Vietjet also canceled two flights--VJ885, VJ886--between Ho Chi Minh City and Kaohsiung, leaving several Vietjet flights affected as a domino effect.

Passengers planning trips to and from Kaohsiung should stay updated on the latest weather forecast and flight information, the carriers said.

The administration of Taiwan on Wednesday ordered offices, businesses and education institutions across five cities and districts to shut down to ensure the safety of people and told them to brace for Typhoon Koinu.

Taiwanese carriers canceled 87 domestic flights while 25 international ones were also canceled.

According to the national weather center of Vietnam, Typhoon Koinu was centered in the southwestern waters of Taiwan by 1:00 pm on Thursday.

At that time, the storm was moving westward at around 10 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of 149 kilometers per hour.

By 1:00 pm on Friday, it will likely maintain the westward direction and the said speed when entering the East Vietnam Sea before weakening.

Koinu is forecast to move southwest at about five kilometers and weaken into a tropical depression on the weekend.

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