Hong Kong Airport reschedules flights one day after protest

Services at Hong Kong International Airport partly resumed on Tuesday, with flights rescheduled one day after a protest halted departures and arrivals at one of the busiest airports in the world.

Travelers gather at the closed check-in counters as protesters stage a protest at the Hong Kong International Airport, Monday, Aug. 12, 2019. [Photo: AP/Kin Cheung]

A notice published by airport management said passengers should check for changes to their flight before heading to the airport.

Authorities canceled flights to and from Hong Kong after protesters swarmed into the airport on Monday. Hundreds of flights were affected, leaving many passengers stranded.

To assist passengers bound for the mainland, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has made arrangements to boost carrying capacity, and relax rules regarding refunds and flight changes.

Air China will increase the number of flights between Beijing and Shenzhen on Tuesday to help clear the backlog of delayed passengers. The company has released guidelines for affected passengers who want a refund or to change their travel dates.

About 200,000 passengers pass through Hong Kong Airport every day.

According to the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, some 60 inbound and outbound travel groups have been affected. Other groups may be affected, depending on how the situation develops.

Seven civil aviation labor unions in Hong Kong released a statement on Monday, urging protesters to stop causing airport disruptions and tarnishing the image of the city internationally. The statement said that Monday's rally was illegal, as the protesters didn't apply to the police for a permit to protest. The unions urged the authorities to take action to restore order at the airport.