Society

Fog closes airport in SW China, stranding thousands

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-02 13:34

CHENGDU - Heavy fog forced the closure of Shuangliu International Airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province Wednesday, stranding thousands of travelers hurrying home for the Spring Festival, China's most important holiday.

Related readings:  Should Chinese Spring Festival be made an international holiday?  Will festival travel get better?  Festival gala offers stage to migrant workers  Spring Festival photos from readers

About 100 flights into and out of the airport in Chengdu, the provincial capital, had been delayed as of 11:30 am, said airport publicity officer Lu Junming.

Four flights were canceled and 10 were diverted to airports in the neighboring municipality of Chongqing and the province of Guizhou.

It was the airport's second closing for the day.

It was closed at 4:30 am because of fog before half reopening at 7:20 am, allowing some takeoffs but no landings. It later fully reopened.

The visibility at the airport at 8 am was about 200 meters.

The airport was closed for about six hours on Tuesday, leaving 134 flights delayed, canceled or diverted.

The Spring Festival falls on Thursday.