Hundreds of flights cancelled leaving travellers facing chaos as citywide strike action hits Hong Kong International Airport
- Air traffic controllers take sick leave en masse, forcing authorities to halve the minimum number of take-offs per hour
A paralysing citywide strike forced Hong Kong airport bosses to cancel some 250 flights on Monday.
Air traffic controllers called in sick en masse as part of long-running anti-government protests, joining Hongkongers from more than 20 business sectors, cutting the number of flights that could take off or land.
Local airlines bore the brunt of the impact. Cathay Pacific Airways and Cathay Dragon cancelled 140 flights to and from the city, budget carrier HK Express axed 10 services and Hong Kong Airlines pulled 37 flights. Only a handful of foreign carriers cancelled services, while most long-haul flights were preserved.
A limited number of Tuesday flights were also affected. Cathay Pacific and Dragon cancelled 14 services on Tuesday, with HK Express delaying seven services and Hong Kong Airlines scrapping the same number.
The strike was the latest chapter in protests that have rocked the city for more than two months. Protesters demand the full withdrawal of an unpopular extradition bill, which has already been shelved, and an independent investigation into the government’s handling of the political crisis.