Town Crier! No explanation for 200 grounded Shanghai flights yesterday

Town Crier! is random snippets of Shanghai news that just may have an effect on your life...

If you were one of the many, many Shanghai folk effected by the almost 200 flights canceled at the city’s two airports yesterday - and numerous delayed flights in and out of the city, like our very own Deputy Editor Monica Liau - the unsatisfying official news is... no explanation:

Officials would only say disruptions were due to “air traffic restrictions,” the latest in a series of such incidents this month.

By yesterday afternoon, 101 flights had been canceled at Pudong International Airport, and another 98 at Hongqiao International Airport.

Some other 120 flights were also delayed for more than two hours at the airports, the Shanghai Airport Authority said.

The authority said flights were affected by air traffic restrictions in airspace near Shanghai, but declined to elaborate.

It is not known if these restrictions will continue today.

Monica, who was stranded on the runway at Hong Kong for six hours (experiencing a serious bout of tarmac rage), was given the reason "military exercises."

Which would explain the no explanation...