South China Covid-19 Outbreak Cancels Flights, Slows Seaborne Freight Handling

Hundreds of passenger flights were canceled in China’s southern metropolis of Guangzhou on Wednesday and handling of seaborne freight was moving at a fraction of normal speed in the world’s third-largest port of Shenzhen, as local governments tightened measures to contain the latest Covid-19 outbreak.

By Wednesday evening, 63% of more than 1,350 scheduled flights to and from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport were canceled, according to VariFlight, an aviation data services provider. The airport is ranked among the nation’s top three busiest together with Beijing and Shanghai. Local thunderstorms contributed to the cancellations.