Today in travel, several stories may have flown under your radar. Among them: Singapore’s air quality takes a dive, LAX suffers a temporary ground stop, China changes its entry and exit requirements for travelers and citizens, and the U.S. updates its guidance on travel to the U.K. and Italy.
FAA Temporarily Pauses Some Flights Into LAX Over Staffing Shortage
Some flights bound for Los Angeles International Airport were temporarily held Monday morning because of an air traffic control staffing shortage.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed a brief ground stop affecting arrivals to LAX on September 14, citing staffing constraints at Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control, which manages arriving and departing aircraft across some of the region’s busiest airspace. The FAA also reported a ground stop in San Diego.
The LAX restriction was lifted by about 9:10 a.m. The FAA subsequently said operations had returned to normal and confirmed that only some inbound flights had been temporarily paused. Passengers affected by the disruption were advised to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information.
Read more at Fox 11 News Los Angeles.
China Expands Exit-Ban Rules for Citizens and Entry Penalties for Foreigners
New Chinese border regulations that took effect September 15 expand the circumstances under which citizens can be prevented from leaving the country and foreigners can be barred from entering.
Under the rules, Chinese citizens who commit illegal or criminal acts overseas that endanger national security may, after returning home, be prohibited from leaving again for six months to three years. Exit restrictions can also be imposed for certain violations of export-control or technology-import and export rules that authorities determine could threaten China’s industrial or technological security.
The regulations generally require authorities to notify people subjected to exit restrictions, although notification can be withheld in circumstances involving national security or criminal investigations. The rules also address schemes in which Chinese citizens are lured abroad and forced into illegal gambling or online and telephone scam operations.
Foreign travelers face a separate provision: anyone found to have submitted false information when applying for a Chinese visa or seeking entry at the border can be barred from the country for one to five years.
Chinese authorities have sought to reassure the public that the measures are directed at unlawful cross-border activity rather than ordinary citizens traveling abroad for legitimate purposes.
Read more at the Associated Press.
Singapore Haze Pushes Air Quality Into Unhealthy Range Nationwide
Haze from regional fires pushed air pollution into the unhealthy range across all five regions of Singapore early September 15, marking the first time that had happened nationwide since September 2019.
At 6 a.m., every region recorded a 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index above 100, with the central region reaching 154. Conditions improved as the day progressed. By midnight, the north, south, east, and west had returned to the moderate range, while the central region remained unhealthy with a PSI of 112.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency considers a 24-hour PSI of 101 to 200 unhealthy. At those levels, healthy people are advised to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor exercise, while children, older adults, pregnant people, and those with heart or lung conditions should take additional precautions.
Smoke from fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan has been carried toward Singapore by prevailing winds. With dry conditions expected to persist in parts of the region, officials say the 24-hour PSI could continue to fluctuate between the high end of the moderate range and the middle of the unhealthy range.
Travelers planning outdoor activities should check Singapore’s one-hour PM2.5 readings shortly beforehand, since those measurements provide a more immediate snapshot of fine-particle pollution.
