Beijing will begin implementing temporary air traffic controls for Sept. 3, in anticipation of the military parade commemorating China’s victory in World War II scheduled to take place in the city, China’s top aviation regulator announced on Saturday.
Between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Chinese capital's two airports--Beijing Capital International Airport and the smaller Nanyuan Airport--will be closed, according to the Air Traffic Management Bureau of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
The bureau said that several airlines have already canceled both outbound and inbound flights during the time frame.
Beijing authorities have also banned aerial activities involving lightweight helicopters, gliders, hot air balloons, and aerostats in the city between Aug. 22 and Sept. 4, as well as halved the number of vehicles allowed on the streets, restricting cars based on their license plate numbers.
The city will also impose restrictions on factories, coal-burning boilers and construction, in a bid to ensure that Beijing's skies are clear during the time period, the government said in its microblog on Weibo.
China has scheduled a series of events marking the 70th anniversary of the Japanese surrender that brought an end to World War II, which is also known as the People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in China, culminating in a military parade on Sept. 3 that is expected to center around Tiananmen Square.
Chinese forces fought Japanese forces that occupied much of China during the Second World War, resulting in 35 million military and civilian casualties and $500 billion in estimated property losses, according to official data recently unveiled by the State Council Information Office.