Most Chinese passenger aircraft grounded as coronavirus rages

Chinese airlines are forced to drastically reduce their operations in the context of the spread of the new coronavirus, because the passenger traffic has been declining as a result of harsh measures that the authorities of the People's Republic of China take to restrict travel and tourism. At the moment, about two-thirds of all aircraft of Chinese airlines are grounded. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the total number of passengers carried by Chinese airlines from January 27 to February 12 (the beginning of Lunar  New Year festivities) made up 10.21 million people, which is 70% less than during the same period a year earlier. The average aircraft occupancy during this period was less than half of the seats, CAAC reported.