国内英语资讯:China Focus: Hainan Airlines to increase flights to ease Chinas island traffic jam_时事

国内英语资讯:China Focus: Hainan Airlines to increase flights to ease Chinas island traffic jam

HAIKOU, Feb. 23 -- Hainan Airlines said Friday it would deploy wide-body aircrafts and increase flights to help ease traffic jams for ferries in south China's Hainan Province.

The airline said it would add 88 flights with nearly 10,000 seats from Feb. 23 to March 2 to help transport stranded passengers on the island.

Passengers are heading home after spending their Spring Festival holiday on the island. Hainan, known for its tropical climate and clean air, is a popular destination for Chinese tourists in winter.

According to the local government, about 90,000 vehicles containing over 400,000 tourists had arrived on the island during this year's Spring Festival holiday lasting from Feb. 15 to Feb. 21.

Shipping on the Qiongzhou Strait, the only way for cars to leave the island for Guangdong, was suspended Wednesday night due to heavy fog. Ferries resumed Thursday morning as visibility improved.

More than 21,000 vehicles and 102,000 passengers were shipped to Guangdong across the strait from Hainan between Thursday morning and Friday morning.

Although the local government issued several warnings on bad weather and traffic at ports, queues continued as more vehicles tried to cross to Guangdong via the strait.

As of 7:30 p.m. Friday, over 12,000 vehicles remained stuck in the seemingly endless traffic jam.

"I prefer waiting in line than wandering around. I want to go home as soon as possible," said a passenger surnamed Mo from southwest China's Sichuan Province.