According to sources with the Beijing International Airport, visibility at the airport’s runway was less than 300 meters early Thursday morning, far less than the sight range necessary for take- offs and landings.

As a result, by 9 a.m., 25 flights had been canceled, the airport sources said. More than 5,000 air travelers are stranded at the terminal building, while vehicular traffic on the airport expressway was limited to a maximum speed of 40 km per hour.

Meanwhile, the Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway and the Beijing-Shijiazhuang Expressway were closed to traffic at 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., respectively.

According to an expert with the Central Meteorological Station, the fog was caused by a mixture of dense humidity, light wind, and relatively high temperatures.

Air traffic is expected to return to normal around noon, when the fog is expected to disperse. About 200 flights are expected to be delayed during the period, said an airport official.

(People’s Daily 02/22/2001)