Air Passenger's Vlog Shows Near-Deserted Beijing Airport, Coronavirus Scans and Empty Rows on Flight

Sports commentator Leo Jiaming LI shared his experiences of an eerily quiet Beijing Capital International Airport on March 9 in a vlog, with the impact of coronavirus clearly on show.

Posting footage to Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo, Jiaming LI – who works for Beijing-based online video platform iQiyi – said that he had been due to commentate at iQiyi’s Beijing studios on the BNP Paribas Open 2020; however, as the California-based tournament was canceled, his plans changed.

Instead, he said he would “shoot some others shows in China” and headed for the airport to take a flight to Guangzhou. Jiaming LI’s footage shows a scant amount of travelers (all donning masks) in the airport’s Terminal 2.

The footage also includes him getting his temperature tested, and visiting a near-empty restaurant area, as well as focusing on a sign for VIP travelers.

“Everyone was peaceful,” he said, and followed “the rules and procedure in the airport.” Staff, he added, checked “every passenger’s body temperature.”

The finale of his vlog shows Jiaming LI on a flight, the only passenger visible in the rows nearby. Credit: Leo Jiaming LI via Storyful