Source: Xinhua Author: 11/26/2008
Subject Concerned: Government Airlines Flight Delay Airport Air Travel in China
More than a dozen of flights bound for Bangkok from Chinese cities were cancelled or delayed on Nov. 26 as protesters forced the Thai capital's Suvarnabhumi International Airport to shut down.
The Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) said that Air China, the country's national flag carrier, had cancelled two flights, one inbound from and the other outbound for the turbulent city.
No information was available for the other five flights operated by Air China and Thai Airways International, which are supposed to leave for Bangkok or arrive in Beijing from the city on Nov. 26 or in the early morning on Nov. 27.
The airport had told passengers these five flights may have been cancelled or delayed. Nearly 1,000 people were affected in Beijing by the delayed or cancelled flights.
Guangzhou and Shanghai, which have flights bound for Bangkok as well, had also cancelled four flights each on Nov. 26.
Suvarnabhumi International Airport was paralyzed after protesters led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) expanded their action against state agencies to the airport on the evening of Nov. 25 in a showdown aimed at toppling the government led by premier Somchai Wongsawat.
Thousands of travelers were stranded at Suvarnabhumi airport at night on Nov. 25 after airport officials cancelled all flights.