China's Financial Hub Shanghai Air Routes Blocked

International Flights Banned as COVID Spreads... Diversion to 12 Cities
Shanghai Authorities Emphasize "No Citywide Lockdown"

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The international air route to Shanghai, China, has been blocked. As COVID-19 spreads, Chinese authorities have taken the measure of banning international flights.

Photo by Baidu Capture

Shanghai and Chinese aviation authorities have banned international flights bound for Shanghai from landing at Pudong International Airport from the 21st to May 1st. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has imposed this measure on 106 flights across 22 routes, including five airlines such as Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and Shanghai Airlines.

Instead, international flights to Shanghai from overseas will be rerouted to 12 Chinese cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Dalian. Overseas arrivals must undergo separate quarantine and other epidemic prevention procedures in these 12 regions before traveling to Shanghai.

Chinese media such as Global Times and Pengpai reported that all 12 reroute cities have the capacity to handle international flights and possess quarantine facilities.

Last year, a total of 14,137 international flights arrived in Shanghai. As 36% of all inbound flights to China pass through Shanghai, demand is high. This measure is expected to cause considerable economic damage to Shanghai, the financial hub of China.

This international flight rerouting policy is comparable to measures taken in the capital, Beijing. Consequently, concerns have arisen that COVID-19 may have spread throughout the entire region, contrary to previous reports. In fact, among the 955 confirmed cases in Shanghai from the 1st to the 15th, 861 were asymptomatic. Given that 90% of infections are asymptomatic, there is a possibility that the virus has spread throughout the entire city of Shanghai.

Despite being an international city, Shanghai has been evaluated as having more flexible quarantine and epidemic prevention procedures compared to other Chinese cities. Shanghai implemented a policy of locking down only affected districts rather than the entire city, unlike China’s zero-COVID policy of city-wide lockdowns when cases emerge. There were even forecasts that if the Chinese government relaxed epidemic prevention procedures, it would adopt Shanghai’s approach.

Photo by Global Times Capture

Shanghai authorities stated at a press conference the previous day that they will not impose a full city lockdown.

Gu Honghui, director of the Shanghai Infectious Disease Prevention Center, emphasized, "We are striving to minimize the impact on citizens' lives," and added, "We will not take measures that close the entire city or halt city functions."

Following the school closure order for elementary, middle, high schools, and kindergartens on the 12th, Shanghai authorities also temporarily suspended operations at all bus terminals on the 14th, effectively blocking visits from outsiders to Shanghai.

Meanwhile, the National Health Commission of China announced that from the 1st to the 14th of this month, more than 15,000 confirmed cases were reported across 28 provinces including Shanghai and Shenzhen, but the situation remains controllable.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.