Thousands of passengers were left stranded and a demonstration
flight of the new Airbus A380 superjumbo was among dozens of
flights delayed or cancelled when thick fog blanketed Beijing's
main airport on Friday.
The heavy fog cut visibility at the Beijing Capital
International Airport to a few hundred meters, delaying flights in
and out of the capital and requiring others to be rerouted.
An official in charge of passenger service with Air China, the
national flag carrier, said most of its morning flights were
delayed.
The company offered drinking water and breakfast to 3,000
passengers waiting for departures. By 9:30 a.m. only six flights
had taken off, said the official.
Meanwhile, the world's largest passenger jet of Airbus A380,
landed at Beijing Capital International Airport Thursday evening,
cancelled its demonstration flight scheduled Friday morning due to
the heavy fog.
The fog got thicker on Friday after the municipal observatory
issued a fog warning on Wednesday night and another at 5:00 a.m. on
Friday.
The visibility in the downtown area is less than 200 meters. The
observatory predicted that the fog would remain for six hours, and
is expected to clear by Friday night, when a current of cold air
brings drizzle and a breeze to the city.
The heavy fog caused the closure of all major highways linking
to the national capital and the eastern part of the city's sixth
ring road.
No serious traffic jams were reported during the morning rush
hour, and many people turned to public transport instead of driving
their own cars for safety reasons.
The thick haze and stagnant air exacerbated the city's
pollution. Sun Jisong, the chief weatherman with the municipal
observatory warned seniors and children to stay indoors to avoid
contracting respiratory diseases.
(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2007)
