Hangzhou Airport Shut Down (2010)
On 7 July 2010, Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou halted all traffic because of an unidentified flying object. The tower could not hold it on radar and diverted inbound aircraft. The shutdown lasted close to an hour and affected eighteen flights; photographs showing a streak of light circulated in the Chinese press.
Witnesses
air traffic controllers and passengers
Why it endures
An aviation authority rarely closes an international airport over an object it cannot see on radar. The civil aviation administration opened an investigation with the provincial government but declined to comment on the nature of the object, which left the field open to interpretation.
Official version (contested)
Official media pointed to a military origin, then the People’s Daily attributed the episode to aircraft flying in radar blind spots, navigation lights included, and the photographs to a long-exposure effect. UFO groups in Beijing and Shanghai found that none of the published images actually matched the event.