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)