Airlines asked to schedule more services to help passengers stranded by fog

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is coordinating with airlines to increase flight capacity to assist passengers stranded by the heavy fog this week in the city of Haikou in Hainan Province.

Vehicles wait for ferry services at Xiuying port in Haikou, the capital of south China's Hainan Province, on February 21, 2018. [Photo: Xinhua]

According to a report in thepaper.cn, a staff member with CAAC confirmed that some airlines have taken measures since Thursday to help stranded passengers to get home as soon as possible.

Plane ticket-booking platform Qunar.com shows flights and ticket prices on February 24 (L) and on February 27 (R) from Haikou to Beijing. [Photo: China Plus]

On Friday travel agency websites were listing return tickets from Haikou to some northern cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an as sold out. Only a few business-class tickets are left, with prices skyrocketing to more than 10,000 yuan (about 1,570 US dollars).

The travel backlog started with heavy fog engulfed the Qiongzhou Strait, disrupting ferry services in Haikou and leaving a large number of tourists stranded as the six-day Spring Festival came to an end.