Charter flights help college students return home

As Chongqing began to embrace normalcy as COVID-19 controls relax, local airlines have been operating customized flights to help college students return home for the winter holidays.

Chongqing, a city of 32 million, had logged more than 90,000 infections at its peak since the most recent outbreak began on Nov 1. Most cases were found in 11 districts in central urban areas.

On Monday, 177 students arrived in Tianjin via a West Air flight, and 133 students left for Xiamen by a Xiamen Airlines flight. On Tuesday, 176 students traveled to Jinan, Shandong province, via West Air.

More carriers, including Chongqing Airlines and Sichuan Airlines, plan to provide services for colleges, universities and companies to major cities in China.