The suspension of operations at Nanjing’s international airport has been prolonged as the facility prepares to undergo a substantial repair and restoration. For the next three months, international flights will not be guaranteed.
Following a large-scale renovation plan of its main facilities to meet the requirements of the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, Nanjing Lukou International Airport will further cancel all cargo and passenger flights, according to Korean carrier Asiana Airlines, which also announced the cancellation of its roundtrip flight from Seoul to Jiangsu’s provincial capital on Weibo yesterday.
The separation of international and domestic terminals will be the main focus of the redevelopment. The previous mixed operations management has been found to be risky due to the increased chances for Covid-19 to spread.
All inbound and outgoing flights were suspended at the end of last month till today to allow for thorough disinfection. While cleaning the cabin of an Air China flight from Russia on July 10, some cleaning personnel became infected with the new coronavirus after failing to follow the standards. According to the Nanjing authorities, here is where the newest Covid-19 outbreak began.
More than ten provinces had reported illnesses tied to the Nanjing outbreak as of Wednesday, with Jiangsu alone reporting over 700 cases.
The chairman, general manager, and several officials of Eastern Airport Group, the company in charge of the Nanjing international airport, have been fired and are being investigated for insufficient and incompetent pandemic prevention and control.
Several domestic and international airlines, including Juneyao Air, Deutsche Lufthansa, Asiana Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, and Italian airliner Neos, are expected to change their international flight plans to accommodate the reconstruction and renovation of Nanjing Lukou International Airport.