SIX mainland airlines announced yesterday they would reschedule and reroute a number of flights to and from Hong Kong following protests that crippled parts of Hong Kong International Airport, releasing guidelines for affected passengers who want a refund or to change their travel dates.

In an official statement, Shenzhen Airlines said passengers who purchased tickets before yesterday for flights to or from Hong Kong scheduled to take off between yesterday and Aug. 18 can opt to obtain a full refund or change their flights free of charge. Passengers who have booked flights to or from Hong Kong up until Aug. 25 have one chance to opt for flights that will be rerouted to Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Huizhou and Macao airports free of charge.

China Southern Airlines ticket holders are allowed to get a full refund or change their flights to or from Hong Kong free of charge if the tickets were bought before Monday and valid from Monday to Aug. 18, the company said in a statement yesterday.

Replaced flights via airports in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Zhuhai are offered to passengers of flights departing from or arriving in Hong Kong before Aug. 25, but only one change will be free of charge.

In a statement issued yesterday, Air China said it had canceled 14 flights to and from Hong Kong yesterday and today, and more such flights might be affected. The company said it will increase the number of flights between Beijing and Shenzhen to help clear the backlog of delayed passengers.

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.

Hong Kong International Airport resumed operations yesterday morning, a day after all flights were canceled due to a protest. But it was forced to be shut down again at around 5 p.m. yesterday due to another protest, canceling all remaining flights for a second day.

The Airport Authority Hong Kong has advised passengers to pay attention to the latest flight information through the airport’s website and its mobile app.

The protests at the airport severely disrupted its normal operations and left many passengers stranded.

Seven civil aviation labor unions in Hong Kong released a statement Monday, urging protesters to stop causing airport disruptions and tarnishing the image of the city internationally. The statement said the rally was illegal, as the protesters hadn’t applied to the police for a permit to protest.

(SD-Xinhua)

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