Xi’an Airport halts international flights over COVID-19 surge

Xi’an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) in China has suspended international flights since January 5, 2022 over a rise in COVID-19 cases, the Xinhua state news agency reported.  

Xi’an is the capital city of Shaanxi Province in Guanzhong, China, and has international routes to 36 different countries around the world. It is also home to the Terracotta Warriors. 

Arrivals and departures data for XIY shows China Eastern Airlines (CIAH) (CEA) is the airport’s main airline. It is also served by many other airlines, including Air China, China Southern, Hainan Airlines and China Express.  

The airport had already suspended domestic flights, Xinhua said.  

Xi’an, a city of 13 million people, has been under strict lockdown measures for two weeks. Reuters reported a city official as saying that more than 42,000 people were in centralized COVID-19 quarantine as of January 4, 2022.  

China is due to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February 2022.