In 2020, 7 out of 10 of the busiest airports in the world were in China, Guangzhou finally topples Atlanta to become #1 busiest airport in the world

[Aspen]

(CNN) — Seven of the world's top 10 busiest airports in 2020 were in China while the former world's busiest airport -- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States -- fell to No. 2 in the rankings after 22 consecutive years in the top spot.
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China was the world's busiest airport in 2020, rising to the No. 1 spot from its No. 11 ranking in 2019, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by airport trade organization Airports Council International (ACI).
Dramatic shifts in the top 10 list for passenger numbers -- and the decimation of global air traffic overall -- is of course because of the Covid-19 pandemic that continues to disrupt travel all over the globe.

Guangzhou saw 43.8 million passengers in 2020, down 40% from 2019. Atlanta had 42.9 million passengers last year, a precipitous 61% drop from 2019.
Atlanta's fall from the top slot is expected to be temporary, according to Patrick Lucas, ACI World's vice president for economics.
"While the industry recovers, we expect ATL to retake its spot at the top in the coming years," Lucas said.
Airports in the Chinese cities of Chengdu, Shenzhen, Kunming, Shanghai and Xi'an were also among the top 10 in 2020, rising from 2019 rankings as low as No. 46 (Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport) to break into the top 10.
Beijing Capital International Airport, which has often held the No. 2 ranking and held that spot in 2019, dropped to No. 6 on the 2020 list.

Global air traffic plunges

In 2020, air passenger traffic around the world fell by nearly 65%, according to ACI figures. Passenger traffic at the 10 busiest airports in 2020 dropped by nearly 46%.
"The data published today reveals the challenge airports continue to face, and it remains imperative that the industry is supported through direct support and sensible policy decisions from governments to ensure that aviation can endure, rebuild connectivity, and fuel a global economic recovery," ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said in a statement.
"The findings show that the impact remains uneven with different regions experiencing different challenges and requiring different policy decisions and support from governments to lay the foundation for recovery," he said.
ACI doesn't expect global passenger traffic to recover to 2019 levels before 2024, according to Lucas.
In addition to Atlanta, two other airports in the United States made it into the top 10: Dallas/Fort Worth International at No. 4 (up from No. 10 in 2019) and Denver International at No. 7 (up from No. 16 in 2019).
No European airports were in the top 10 in 2020; London and Paris made the list in 2019. Dubai and Tokyo also dropped off the list in 2020.

Domestic air travel

ACI noted that domestic air travel is beginning to rebound in many places, while international air travel remains heavily restricted.
China's strong showing in the top 10 is due in part to less broadly restricted domestic travel in China, where the novel coronavirus emerged in late 2019 and was aggressively beaten back with strict lockdowns.
The nation is the world's second-largest domestic travel market, after the United States.
International travel in China is still highly restricted, Lucas noted, forcing many travelers who might have traveled internationally to travel within China.
While some signs of recovery are emerging, ACI's leader highlighted several critical components for continued improvement.
"A sustained global recovery will only be realized with an escalation of vaccination campaigns, the continued development of digital health passes and coordinated and cohesive policy support from governments," ACI Director General de Oliveira said.

2020's busiest airports for passenger traffic

1. Guangzhou (CAN) -- 43.8 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 40% from 2019
2. Atlanta (ATL) -- 42.9 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 61% from 2019
3. Chengdu (CTU) -- 40.7 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 27% from 2019
4. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) -- 39.4 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 48% from 2019
5. Shenzhen (SZX) -- 37.9 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 28% from 2019
6. Beijing (PEK) -- 34.5 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 66% from 2019
7. Denver (DEN) -- 33.7 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 51% from 2019
8. Kunming (KMG) -- 33 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 31% from 2019
9. Shanghai (SHA) -- 31.2 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 32% from 2019
10. Xi'an (XIY) -- 31.1 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 34% from 2019

After more than two decades, there's a new world's busiest airport

Seven of the world's top 10 busiest airports in 2020 were in China and the former world's busiest airport has toppled to No. 2 in the rankings after a steep pandemic-related drop in air traffic.

www.cnn.com

 

[Aspen]

Yes! China's "busy" airports were the primary means by which the CCP distributed its Covid-19 Wuhan virus to the rest of the world. Congratulations, China!

You conveniently ignore the fact that there was a period of several weeks when numerous airports and train stations in China were completely shut down to all planes domestic and international to reduce spread of C19, something which has still not happened in the rest of the world. China took the most aggressive steps to combat C19 transmission via travel of any country while the rest of the west is content to let it spread without shutting down any of their airports or train stations.

 

[beijingwalker]

Covid very likely started from US, but now we don't have a definite result, WHO finished it investigation on China, and US also should be investigated.

 

[cloud4000]

Covid very likely started from US, but now we don't have a definite result, WHO finished it investigation on China, and US also should be investigated.

Still beating the same drum...

 

[flowerfan2020]

Still beating the same drum...

No, new form of covid contributed by India.

 

[Viva_Viet]

Yes! China's "busy" airports were the primary means by which the CCP distributed its Covid-19 Wuhan virus to the rest of the world. Congratulations, China!

Cnese make more Covid cases in Camb

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The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen sharply in Cambodia after four Chinese nationals allegedly bribed security guards and fled quarantine from a five-star hotel. At least two women then went on a partying spree through numerous nightclubs and visited friends.

After they were apprehended, two tested positive for the disease.

CCTV footage of one girl and a security guard leaving her room and exiting the hotel through a fire-escape went viral across the country, enraging locals who view the pandemic as a “foreigners disease” which is threatening their health and has wrecked the economy.

The incident has been dubbed the “February 20 Community Event” and is Cambodia’s third – and by far the largest – community outbreak since the pandemic erupted a year ago. The U.K. variant of the disease has also emerged here and more than 1,500 have been quarantined in recent days.

Prior to the outbreak, the number of confirmed cases stood at just 484, with 470 recoveries and no deaths. But that number has soared to 741 with 477 recoveries within a week prompting lockdowns and government warnings that includes orders to deport anyone who breaches health regulations.

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It was an order that was enacted upon almost immediately with the deportation of a Chinese media proprietor whose license was also revoked for spreading “fake news” about COVID-19 vaccinations in Cambodia.

The Interior Ministry said Shen Kaidon, owner of Angkor Today Media, was deported on Thursday and banned from entering Cambodia for life after he said on a social media platform: “Cambodia sells China-aided COVID-19 vaccines at a high price.”

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COVID-19 vaccines – AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sinovax – are free in Cambodia and the government has announced this also applies to foreigners.

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“All foreign nationals who are currently residing and working in Cambodia can get vaccinated against COVID-19 at no charge in accordance with Cambodian COVID-19 vaccination plans,” Phnom Penh has told foreign embassies and the United Nations Resident Coordinator.

The Chinese government has promised Cambodia 1 million doses for 500,000 people with the ruling elites taking the first jab and military personnel prioritized while the Australian Government has committed $28 million to support the rollout in Cambodia.

But the behavior of Chinese nationals in Cambodia has come under scrutiny. In August last year, concerns were raised about six Chinese nationals who tested positive for COVID-19 but went missing after their embassy in Phnom Penh questioned the results.

After initial tests were conducted upon their arrival in the capital a Chinese embassy official apparently urged the health ministry not to include the results in its daily reports, which are made public through government-backed news outlets.

The six were then reportedly retested and all the results turned out negative, which one medical practitioner described “as a result that would be almost impossible to obtain.”

Then, in October, a video that appeared to show a state registered bus allowing just arrived passengers to evade airport quarantine, raising fears of preferential treatment for Chinese visitors.

Initially posted online under the name of “Yin Seng” and then picked up by local media, the video shows passengers getting off the bus with their luggage, aided by transport staff, outside the airport.

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Most of the confirmed cases in the latest community outbreak are among Chinese nationals, some in the southern port town of Sihanoukville, where Chinese businesses have invested heavily.

The government has also identified 63 clusters in Phnom Penh while businesses and schools have closed and events ranging from weddings to art shows have been cancelled.

However, the major headache confronting the Cambodian government, which had earned widespread international praise for its handling of the pandemic, is integrity and corruption, particularly at the lower end of the bureaucracy.

Cambodia’s Sees COVID-19 Spike After Chinese Nationals Break Quarantine

The government has also deported a Chinese media proprietor for spreading “fake news” about COVID-19 vaccines.

thediplomat.com

 

[Menthol]

It's quite a surprise that Chengdu is among the top 3.

And even more surprises are Kunming and Xian.

Kunming is a province in the far southwest, quite remote in my opinion.

While for Xian, I thought this ancient city is already dead, it will never regain its former glory. The Xian cityscape photos are not as spectacular as Shanghai and Shenzhen for example, with all the skyscrapers and futuristic buildings.

But this ranking proves what I assume is not right.

For Shanghai, I thought it should be higher.