China Orders Pilots to ‘Land Blind’ as Smog Delays Flights

China ordered the nation’s commercial pilots to learn to “land blind” in smoggy conditions to help alleviate chronic flight delays.

Pilots flying to Beijing’s international airport from the nation’s 10 busiest airports must be qualified to land when visibility falls below 400 meters, starting from Jan. 1, the official China Daily said, citing unidentified people at the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The new requirement, translated as “level two blind landing,” uses radio beam transmitters to guide planes when pilots have difficulty seeing, according to the Xinhua News Agency.