Flight Operation Crisis Hits China’s Major Airports with 110 Cancellations and 546 Delays, Leaving Thousands of Passengers Stranded, With Air China, Eastern, and Southern Airlines Leading the Disruption at Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and More

Published on November 22, 2025

In what amounts to a striking operational setback, China’s domestic aviation sector recorded a total of 110 cancelled flights and 546 delays across 13 airlines over a recent tracking period. The disruption, affecting household names such as Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, underscores an escalating strain within China’s civil aviation system even as the industry as a whole is reporting recovery.

The breakdown reveals that Air China tallied 17 cancellations and 85 delays; China Eastern posted 15 cancellations and a sizable 126 delays; China Express logged 14 cancellations and 26 delays; China Southern recorded 10 cancellations and 72 delays; Hainan Airlines had 10 cancelled and 26 delayed; Shenzhen Airlines 9 cancelled and 59 delayed; Tianjin Airlines 8 cancelled and 22 delayed; Batik Airlines 7 cancelled and 32 delayed; Chengdu Airlines 5 cancelled and 23 delayed; Tibet Airlines 5 cancelled and 21 delayed; Shanghai Airlines 4 cancelled and 20 delayed; Shandong Airlines 4 cancelled and 18 delayed; and Beijing Capital Airlines 2 cancellations and 16 delays.

Air China Airline Cancelled Flights

Together, the figures point to 656 flights being affected—a substantive number in an industry where punctuality and reliability are critical for both business and leisure travellers. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), domestic aviation is recovering robustly with passenger numbers climbing and transportation turnover registering strong gains. Yet these disruption figures now raise questions about the capacity of airlines and airports to meet soaring demand without compromising service quality.

China Eastern Airline Cancelled Flights

Key Figures and Context

The cancellation and delay totals—110 and 546—are derived from each carrier’s reported disruption count in the referenced period. While the absolute number of cancellations remains moderate, the number of delays is considerable, suggesting systemic bottlenecks rather than isolated incidents.

The CAAC’s public data underscores wider industry trends: in 2024, for example, the civil aviation industry in China reported passenger traffic of 730 million—a year‑on‑year growth of 17.9 %—and cargo/mail volume up 22.1 %. As flight volumes increase, so do pressures on infrastructure, air‑traffic control, aircraft turnarounds and crew scheduling. These headlines reveal that high volume is no guarantee of high reliability.

China Express Airline Cancelled Flights:

What’s Behind the Disruptions?

Several factors are likely contributing to the increased disruptions. Rapid rebound in passenger demand has forced airlines and airports to stretch existing resources. Restricted civil airspace—long noted in China’s aviation system—continues to limit flexibility in routing and scheduling. Research has shown that China’s airborne time efficiencies lag behind those in the U.S., partly due to airspace constraints. Meanwhile, planes and crews previously dedicated to international routes are being redirected domestically, stretching the system’s adaptability.

Furthermore, with many of the airlines state‑owned or state‑controlled, operational changes get flagged in public data faster than private carriers elsewhere, meaning disruptions may be more visible.

China Southern Airline Cancelled Flights:

Impact on Travellers and Tourism

For travellers planning journeys within China, this means increased risk when flying domestically—even with major carriers. Business trips, holiday itineraries and connections all come under threat when delays and cancellations spike. For the tourism industry—particularly regional tourism to destinations across China—the knock‑on effect may be slower growth or increased cancellations. Routes to lesser‑served cities are often the first to feel ripples when disruptions spread.

Total Cancelled and Delayed Airlines

What The Industry Needs to Address

To restore reliability, the sector needs to focus on several fronts:

• Aircraft utilisation: As CAAC noted, in 2023 the average daily utilisation of registered transport aircraft stood at 8.12 hours, up 3.77 hours compared with the previous year.
• Airspace flexibility: More efficient routing and allocation of airspace would reduce delays attributable to air‑traffic constraints.
• Infrastructure turnarounds: Airports need streamlined processes to handle surges in volume without cascading disruptions.
• Capacity management: While expanding fleet and services is key, airlines must ensure operational buffers are in place to cope with disruption spikes.

What It Means Going Forward

As China’s aviation sector strives to reach pre‑pandemic and post‑pandemic growth targets—such as the CAAC goal of passenger traffic at 780 million in 2025 .Keeping the balance between growth and reliability will be critical. These cancellation and delay figures, while not apocalyptic, act as a warning light: high volume is welcome, but not at the expense of passengers’ trust.

On a human level, travellers counting on punctual flights across the country want reassurance that their journey won’t get stuck on the runway. The industry, for its part, must match growth ambitions with seamless operations.

For airlines, airports and regulators alike, the message is clear: growth without reliability is a fragile foundation. With 110 flights cancelled and 546 delayed across major carriers, China’s aviation industry must navigate this challenge swiftly to keep passengers connected—and confidence intact.