KIXman

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Just a heads up for anyone planning to be in the area during this time.

http://www1.china.org.cn/china/2015-07/30/content_36186711.htm

From 9:30am to 12:30pm on September 3, Beijing International Airport will shutdown operations and temporarily suspend all flights in and out of the airport.

moondog

That's been happening almost daily for the past 2 weeks, and life goes on (some flights after the shut down get to leave on time, others are delayed 3 hours, others are delayed 8 hours, and others are cancelled).

trueblu

Is this really the case: I've got an international flight scheduled for 11:00 in a couple of weeks. Does that mean that if I arrive at the airport at 09:00, I can't actually enter the building and check-in?

tb

ETA after reading the linked article, it suggests that disruption has been happening since June, with 'designated waiting areas', but the implication is that 3rd September will be much, much more disruptive.

minhaoxue

September 3rd is the day of the military parade to commemorate the end of WWII.

moondog

I wasn't talking about not being allowed into the airport, TB. Rather there have been significant blocks of time during the past several weeks when planes weren't allowed to take off or land (funky weather). I spent 8 hours at pek last Thursday and 8 hours at nay Tuesday of the week before.

anacapamalibu

Got to keep the airspace clear for incoming flights.

JCM3535

I get in to PEK at 5 a.m. on the 3rd and leave for KWE @ 7:32 a.m. Here is to hoping everything goes as planned and we get out.

moondog

1. Confirm with your airline that PEK-KWE is actually operating
2. Make a backup plan (9/3 is expected to be the worst day in the history of PEK)

JCM3535

Will have my TA check all that out tomorrow. Anybody know much about the AC IAH-PEK route? Is it normally on time?

moondog

Iah-pek has a good performance record. It's your pek-kwe flight that gives me pause.

jiejie

I concur with moondog. I would not bet that this PEK-KWE flight will go out--military could easily start the shutdowns earlier. Were I you, I'd definitely be proactive about that backup plan B if you must get to KWE on Sept 3:
1) Postpone any business meetings scheduled in KWE on the 3rd.
2) Get ticket on a bullet train to another city completely out of range of PEK ATC and surrounding airspace (as in, not TSN), then fly onward from that city to KWE. Maybe Shijiazhuang or Zhengzhou would fill the bill as the connection point. It would be annoying to have to do the transfers, but you'd get to KWE that afternoon or early evening. G Train tickets are refundable for a penalty fee, and you can get refundable air tickets also, in case you don't need to use them.

JCM3535

Talked to our TA this morning. He is coming up with a plan b should we need it. Something told me to go through LAX to CAN but this flight path was about $500 cheaper and a little bit shorter time wise.

Making my first trip back to Guizhou Province in 10 years to do some sightseeing and don't want to miss a second of it.

shefgab

I'm flying into PEK on BA from LHR on 3 Sept...flight is scheduled to land at 0930

To be honest, i'm not in a rush, I have a good seat, and a divert to somewhere interesting wouldn't be the worst thing in the world

jiejie

More Sept 3 holiday restrictions

Not specifically airport/airline related, but if you must travel into/within Beijing between now and Sept 3, this might be of interest.

anacapamalibu

Looks like they have excluded every vehicle except the monocycle.