Beijing, Shanghai flights canceled

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Flights from China to the northeastern United States were canceled and at least two tourist groups were left stranded by Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday.

Sandy, one of the biggest storms to hit the US, swept the nation's East Coast, forcing the closure of a number of airports.

At least six flights by three Chinese airlines bound for New York and Washington from Beijing and Shanghai were canceled.

Tian Lu, a spokesman for the Shanghai Airport Authority, which operates both the city's airports, said: "We don't have too many stranded passengers at Pudong and Hongqiao International Airports as only a few cities in the US were affected by the hurricane."

There were no stranded passengers at Beijing Capital International Airport, as "airlines sent flight cancellation messages to passengers beforehand," said an employee at the airport.

Air China and China Eastern Airlines canceled their Tuesday flights to New York. United Airlines said its flights to Newark, Washington and Chicago from Monday to Wednesday were affected.

Cathay Pacific canceled its daily flights from Hong Kong to New York and from New York to Hong Kong from Monday to Wednesday. A statement said: "The current closure of JFK airport underscores the storm's significant impact on New York City. It may take some time for the airport to become fully functional again ... this may take longer than expected."

At least two tourist groups from China were stranded on the US East Coast as the storm played havoc with schedules.

Cong Lin, a manager at the North America branch of China Travel Service, a Beijing-based travel agency, said: "The US East Coast is not a hot tourist destination after the National Day holiday, and currently we only have one tourist group stranded there." Cong said the group of more than 10 tourists are staying at a hotel in New York and she has no immediate fears for their safety.

Ge Jingwen, manager of Shanghai travel agency SAL Tour's America department, said one of her groups, comprising 40 Chinese tourists who left from Shanghai, were stranded in Washington. "We're waiting for more information from the local airport, but their travel plans in the next few days will be affected," she said.

Questions:

1. What is causing disruptions in flights between the northeastern United States and China?

2. How many Chinese tourists are stranded?

3. Which airlines are affected?

Answers:

1. Hurricane Sandy.

2. At least two tourist groups(more than 50 tourists) from China were stranded on the US East Coast.

3. Air China, China Eastern Airlines, United Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.