Thai Airways, VietJet, Bangkok Airways, and More Airlines Spark Major Travel Disruptions across China as Over 80 Flights Are Cancelled Hitting Routes to Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Samui, and More – New Update

Published on December 4, 2025

A surge in China flight cancellations has disrupted travel nationwide, with 131 total flights pulled across major hubs. Routes to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Xi’an, Kunming, and Chongqing were especially affected, leaving travelers scrambling for alternatives. Airlines such as Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, XiamenAir, Spring Airlines, and Tibet Airlines all reported suspended departures as operational and scheduling pressures mounted.

These airport-wide setbacks come at a time when seasonal weather fluctuations and airspace congestion are already straining schedules, deepening the scale of flight disruptions China.

Chongqing Jiangbei Sees Major Cuts to Beijing and Shanghai Flights

Chongqing’s main international airport saw repeated cancellations on essential business corridors, particularly those connecting to Beijing and Shanghai.

Key affected routes:

• Beijing Capital: CCA1436, CCA1430, CCA1450
• Shanghai Hongqiao: CES5434, CES2550
• Regional destinations including Jinan, Baotou, and Sanming Shaxian

These routes typically carry heavy weekday traffic, magnifying the impact of the suspensions.

Hangzhou Xiaoshan Hit by High Volume of Northern and Western Cancellations

Hangzhou recorded one of the largest clusters of cancellations among eastern airports. The majority involved northern cities and key western centers.

Notable cancellations:

• Beijing Capital: CCA1701, CCA1723, CCA1721
• Beijing Daxing: CES5192
• Chengdu Shuangliu: CCA1743, CCA1749, CCA1757, CCA4520
• Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Lanzhou, Xi’an, and Guiyang

The high volume contributed to wider China domestic aviation delays affecting the Yangtze River Delta.

Shanghai Hongqiao Disruptions Target Beijing’s High-Demand Corridor

Shanghai Hongqiao, one of the busiest domestic terminals, faced extensive cancellations. The route to Beijing—typically one of the country’s most reliable—took repeated hits.

Suspended services included:

• Air China flights: CCA1524, CCA1532, CCA1534
• China Eastern flights: CES5127, CES2166
• Other affected destinations: Chengdu Tianfu, Lanzhou, Taiyuan, Qingdao, Changsha

These disruptions added pressure to the busiest short-haul business route in the country.

Kunming Changshui: Early-Morning Departures Pulled From Schedule

Kunming Changshui International Airport faced cancellations across both regional and long-distance flights, with morning schedules hardest hit.

Affected flights:

• Baoshan: CES5983
• Wuxi: RLH6523
• Wuhan: RLH6535
• Shanghai Hongqiao: CES5807

This forced many travelers to miss onward connections at coastal cities.

Xi’an Xianyang Records Cancellations Across Domestic and International Routes

Xi’an faced one of the widest spreads of cancellations, impacting flights to the east, south, and even international destinations.

Cancelled departures included:

• Shanghai Pudong: YZR7550, CHH7841
• Beijing Capital: CCA1236, CCA1202
• Shenzhen: CSZ9206, CSZ9210
• Fuzhou: CXA8254
• Additional suspensions to Harbin, Guilin, Guyuan, Xichang, Hangzhou
• International: Tokyo Narita (CHH7927)

The range of destinations underscores how easily airport cancellations China can cascade across regions.

Chengdu Shuangliu Sees Plateau and Coastal Routes Removed

Chengdu experienced a mix of service suspensions affecting both Tibetan plateau airports and major coastal hubs.

Key cancellations:

• Beijing Capital: CCA1402
• Hangzhou: CCA1750, CCA1758, CCA4519
• Tibetan destinations including Lhasa, Qamdo, Shigatse, Nyingchi (TBA9924, TBA9956, CCA4407, TBA9882)

These routes play a crucial role in tourism and regional logistics.

Shenzhen Bao’an Cuts Evening Flights Across Northern Corridors

Shenzhen’s airport saw cancellations concentrated on evening flights bound for northern and central China.

Routes removed from schedule:

• Beijing Capital: CCA1306, CCA1338, CCA1398
• Xi’an: YZR7573
• Harbin, Shenyang, Yinchuan, Yuncheng

This limited next-day rebooking options for many affected travelers.

Guangzhou Baiyun Disruptions Hit Northern Destinations

Guangzhou registered above-average cancellations on northern routes.

Notable cancellations:

• Shenyang: CSN6340
• Tianjin: CXA8356
• Beijing Capital: CCA1328
• Hangzhou: CCA1792
• Chongqing: CHH7441

As one of China’s central aviation hubs, disruptions here affected connections throughout the region.

Beijing Capital Shows One of the Largest Cancellation Clusters

Beijing’s main airport saw widespread cancellations across nearly every major corridor, marking one of the largest waves of China flight cancellations this season.

Affected destinations:

• Hangzhou: CCA1732, CCA1718
• Wenzhou: CCA1573
• Qingdao: CCA1525
• Changsha: CCA1317, CCA1363
• Shenzhen: CCA1337, CCA1305
• Xi’an: CCA1235, CCA1289
• Shanghai: CES5160, CCA1523, CCA1531

The high volume further strained coordination between airports nationwide.

Shanghai Pudong Cancels Both Domestic and U.S.-Bound Flights

Shanghai Pudong faced a mix of domestic and long-haul cancellations that disrupted both passenger and cargo flow.

Suspended services:

• Minneapolis–St. Paul: DAL9960, DAL9961
• Chengdu Tianfu: CCA4514, CCA4508
• Chengdu Shuangliu: CCA4536
• Xi’an: CHH7842
• Lanzhou: CES6805
• Nanning: YZR7589
• Guilin: CES9019

This included one of the largest international impacts seen during this period.

Total Cancellations Table

Total cancellations: 131

Impact on Passengers

These widespread changes created unexpected challenges for travelers, particularly:

• Missed business meetings and onward connections
• Limited rebooking options on high-demand routes
• Longer layovers due to cascading delays
• Crowding at service counters and hotline backlogs

With multiple hubs experiencing stress simultaneously, the ripple effect became difficult to contain, increasing cancelled departures China at airports already operating near capacity.

Why These Issues Keep Emerging

The recent disruptions point to several ongoing pressures, including:

• Airspace congestion during peak hours
• Weather fluctuations across regions
• Crew rotation limits
• Network-wide timing conflicts from earlier delays

Collectively, these factors reflect broader airline operational issues that continue to challenge schedule stability.