Passport OK for flights, authority says

Confusion clarified after some airports required passengers to show ID card

Chinese passengers can use their passports to board domestic flights as long as they use the same form of ID to make a booking, the country's top airport authority said on Tuesday after several airports began requiring people to present their identity cards.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China released a statement on Tuesday clarifying that Chinese passports can be used as valid ID to board domestic flights.

Many people were confused about new rules adopted on May 8 at some airports, including Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Zhuhai Airport, both in Guangdong province.

According to a statement from Zhuhai Airport on Monday, passports are not acceptable as valid travel identification for Chinese passengers, based on new security check procedures, so they must present their ID cards to fly domestically.

After the airport authority released its clarifying statement, China Daily contacted the airport again, and a security officer said people could board domestic flights with a passport only.

The authority didn't explain why some airports adopted the rule and others didn't, including Beijing Capital International Airport.