Heavy fog leaves over 10,000 passengers stranded at SW China airport

CHENGDU -- At least 10,000 passengers were stranded on Thursday due to heavy fog at an international airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province, airport authorities said.

The fog reduced visibility on the runway to 50 meters at 7 a.m., forcing Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu to close down for two hours, according to airport authorities.

During the suspension, 130 flights were delayed and 12 were canceled, with a further 12 incoming flights forced to land at airports in neighboring Chongqing Municipality and Guizhou Province.

Flights resumed around 9:30 a.m., but airport authorities said it would take several hours for normal service to resume.

The airport said it expects to remain open until after midnight to ensure all stranded passengers are flown to their destinations and to avoid disturbing Friday's flight plans.

Shuangliu International Airport handles 904 incoming and outgoing flights every Thursday.