Thousands of Passengers Succumb to Chaos in Asia as Air China, Tibet Airlines, Sichuan Airlines,Japan Air Commuter,Fly Dubai and Others Face Over 2169 Delays and 148 Flight Cancellations Across Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Other Major Cities

Published on December 5, 2025

Flight‑stranded travellers and mounting frustration are playing out across China — and beyond — as Asia’s major carriers report a harrowing tally of 2,317 flight disruptions in a recent surge. According to compiled data from dozens of airlines, the chaos spans 148 cancelled flights and a staggering 2,169 delays, pushing both frequent flyers and occasional travellers into uncertainty.

A Massive Disruption — Across Many Airlines

The breakdown of the disruptions reveals a grim pattern:

• Air China tops the list with 54 cancellations and 294 delays.
• China Eastern Airlines follows, hit by 16 cancellations and 292 delays.
• China Express Airlines recorded 13 cancellations and 58 delays.
• Tibet Airlines suffered 10 cancellations and 32 delays.
• China Southern Airlines posted 8 cancellations and 265 delays.
• Chengdu Airlines saw 6 cancellations and 68 delays.
• Other carriers including Sichuan Airlines, Fly Dubai, Hainan Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, and several regional or international carriers rounded out the list — each contributing further to delays and cancellations.

In total, 23 airlines, major and minor, share the blame.

China Southern Cancelled Flights :

What’s Behind the Chaos — Weather, Scheduling and Systemic Strain

Officials from Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) point to multiple overlapping stress‑points. Recent winter schedule adjustments, maintenance rescheduling, staffing shortages and congested air‑traffic flow have all strained the network. T

Meteorological conditions have triggered a large share of the disruptions. Thick fog blanketing the Yangtze River Delta recently led to over 550 delays and dozens of cancellations at major hubs such as Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.

The situation is not new — flight delays and cancellations have long weighed on China’s domestic aviation network. According to CAAC’s 2020 data, even then on‑time performance hovered around 88.5%, highlighting how delays remain endemic despite capacity growth.

An academic study in 2018 estimated that delays alone cost China’s economy some ¥350.71 billion annually.

Air China Cancelled Flights:

Millions Disrupted, Travel Plans in Tatters

Passengers waiting at airports across China described scenes of uncertainty, frustration and exhaustion. Many said they received little notice of cancellations or delays, some waiting hours for rebookings or refund processing. Families travelling during the winter holiday rush were among the hardest hit.

With the peak holiday season approaching, the disruptions promise even greater chaos. Some cross‑border routes — particularly flights from Chinese cities to Japan — have already seen widespread cancellations. Data suggests cancellations on 12 major China–Japan routes within the coming week, triggered by a mix of diplomatic tensions and flights being removed from schedules.

Industry observers warn that the flight‑cancellation rate soared to 13.4 % on certain days — the highest in several weeks.

China Eastern Cancelled Flights:

What Regulators Say — And What Airlines Must Do

CAAC regulations stipulate that airlines must file cancellation notices with authorities at least 48 hours before departure, specifying reasons and alternate arrangements for passengers.

As disruptions mount, CAAC appears under pressure to step up oversight. In response, airlines are being urged to re‑examine crew scheduling, fleet maintenance timelines and route allocations to minimise further disruptions.

Experts say the current surge in cancellations and delays reflects systemic stress points — from overburdened air‑traffic control in peak demand zones to insufficient buffer time between flights for maintenance or crew rest. As one study on flight‑delay propagation recently argued, without structural reforms, delays will continue to ripple across the nationwide network.

China Express Cancelled Flights

Who Bears the Cost — Passengers, Carriers, and the Economy

Passengers suffer the immediate brunt: lost time, missed connections, disrupted holidays, and often unpredictable additional costs.

Airlines also face reputational damage and financial strain. In recent years, major carriers such as China Southern and Air China posted net losses — partly due to soft international demand and increased operational disruptions.

Beyond travel chaos, delays and cancellations harm regional economies. Earlier studies estimated that aviation‑related delays can impose billions of yuan worth of indirect economic damage.

A Human Reality — Flight Plans Turned Into Frustration

For the thousands caught in this disruption wave, the experience is deeply personal. Elderly travellers waiting for a flight home, businesspeople missing meetings, families stranded at airports — each represents a story of plans derailed, schedules frayed, and trust shaken.

One frequent flyer described the chaos: “We were told our flight was simply ‘delayed for maintenance.’ Two hours later, it was cancelled. No alternative offered. I had to scramble and buy a high‑price ticket on another airline.”

As queues lengthened and phone lines jammed, relief came slowly — many were re‑booked, some refunded, but few felt reassured enough to promise to fly the same airline again soon.

What Comes Next — Can China’s Air Travel Bounce Back?

The surge in flight disruptions has exposed underlying fragility in China’s aviation infrastructure. As winter intensifies and travel demand peaks, airlines — and regulators — face a critical test.

To restore reliability and passenger confidence, experts recommend several measures: improved scheduling flexibility, enhanced maintenance reserves, better weather‑related contingency planning, and more transparent reporting of cancellations and delays.

CAAC, as the regulatory overseer, may need to enforce stricter compliance with its 48‑hour notice rule and ensure airlines provide not just explanations — but real, timely support and compensation when flights are grounded or indefinitely delayed.

Until that happens, travellers across China and Asia will be watching — and waiting — hopefully.

Source :Flightaware