Travelers planning to fly within China this week are being urged to recheck their itineraries after a fresh wave of cancellations and delays involving several major carriers, including Air China, China Eastern, and Sichuan Airlines. At least 16 domestic flights have been scrubbed across key routes touching Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other major cities, in a pattern of disruption that continues to ripple through one of the world’s busiest aviation markets during the peak Spring Festival travel period.
What Is Happening Across China’s Skies Right Now
China’s domestic aviation network is currently under acute strain as airlines juggle record passenger demand for the 2026 Spring Festival rush with a tight operating environment marked by weather, airspace constraints and rapidly shifting international capacity plans. While hundreds of flights are operating as scheduled, a cluster of cancellations affecting at least 16 domestic services has highlighted how fragile punctuality remains on core trunk routes linking the country’s megacities.
Recent operational data and airline announcements show that leading carriers, among them Air China, China Eastern and regional players such as Sichuan Airlines, have each scrubbed or re-timed select services on short notice, particularly around Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and other strategic hubs. These adjustments follow a broader pattern in which Chinese airlines have also cancelled significant portions of their Japan-bound schedules for February, forcing network reshuffles that can spill over into domestic rotations.
The result for passengers is a patchwork of disruption: while the headline figure of 16 cancellations may appear modest in the context of tens of thousands of daily flights, the routes affected often serve as feeder or connecting legs, magnifying the impact for travelers with onward domestic or international journeys.
Key Airlines Affected: Air China, China Eastern, Sichuan Airlines and More
National flag carrier Air China remains at the center of China’s domestic travel system, with more than 70,000 flights slated over the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush. Any schedule adjustments on its side, whether due to aircraft rotation issues, weather constraints or reassignments to higher-demand routes, quickly ripple across the network. Air China has already been rebalancing capacity on routes connecting Beijing and Shanghai with secondary cities, while also scaling up service on popular leisure and family reunion corridors during the holiday peak.
Shanghai-based China Eastern, another heavyweight in the Chinese market, faces similar pressures. The airline anchors operations at both Shanghai Pudong and Shanghai Hongqiao airports, handling a dense web of domestic connections as well as long-haul and regional international routes. Even a small number of cancellations at Shanghai can translate into cascading delays or equipment swaps across China Eastern’s system, particularly for flights linking Shanghai to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Kunming.
Sichuan Airlines and other regional carriers play a crucial role by linking western and central China with the coastal megacities. Routes from Chengdu and Chongqing into Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are especially busy at this time of year. When these carriers cancel or consolidate services, passengers originating in inland provinces may lose same-day connections to coastal flights, lengthening travel times or forcing overnight stays. Additional disruption involving airlines such as Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Kunming Airlines has been reported in recent weeks, underscoring that this is a system-wide challenge rather than an issue confined to a single brand.
Which Routes and Airports Are Seeing the Most Disruption
The latest cancellations and schedule changes are concentrated on trunk routes touching China’s biggest hubs: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. These airports sit at the top of a tightly choreographed air traffic system, and any strain there tends to ripple outward. Recent operational reports have drawn particular attention to Beijing Capital and Beijing Daxing, Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao, as well as Guangzhou Baiyun, where congestion, weather and flow-control measures frequently intersect.
Flights linking Beijing and Shanghai continue to see volatile day-to-day performance. These vital business and government corridors are among the most heavily scheduled in the country, and even minor air traffic control adjustments or ground handling delays can push individual flights into late departures or same-day cancellations. At the same time, Guangzhou’s role as a key gateway for southern China means that disruptions on Guangzhou–Beijing, Guangzhou–Shanghai and Guangzhou–Chengdu routes can leave both domestic and connecting international travelers scrambling for alternatives.
Secondary but strategically important hubs are also feeling the strain. Airports in Chengdu, Xi’an, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Changsha, Kunming and Chongqing have all been flagged in recent weeks for elevated numbers of cancellations and delays. Services connecting these cities with the three primary coastal hubs are especially vulnerable because they often operate with tight turnarounds and rely on aircraft that are cycling through multiple legs per day. If one segment is significantly delayed or grounded, subsequent flights may be cancelled entirely to reset the schedule.
The Broader Context: Spring Festival Surge and Japan Route Cutbacks
The timing of these domestic disruptions is particularly sensitive. China’s official Spring Festival travel period, running from early February through mid-March 2026, is traditionally the country’s most intense season for mobility. This year, airlines have loaded large amounts of domestic capacity, with Air China alone planning more than 70,000 flights over the period, complemented by expanded services from China Eastern, China Southern and a long list of regional and private carriers.
Complicating matters further, Chinese airlines are simultaneously grappling with a sharp reduction in flights to Japan. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo, combined with safety advisories, security concerns and recent earthquake activity in parts of Japan, have led carriers to suspend or drastically scale back dozens of China–Japan routes for February. Aviation data providers report that as much as 45 percent of scheduled flights from mainland China to Japan this month have been cancelled, with entire city pairs such as Beijing Daxing–Osaka Kansai and some Shanghai–Tokyo services temporarily disappearing from timetables.
On paper, trimming international flying should free up aircraft and crews that could then be redeployed into the domestic market. In practice, the rapid nature of these changes, combined with regulatory approvals, slot coordination and airport handling constraints, has created a complex puzzle for operations teams. As schedules are rewritten, some domestic legs are being cancelled, combined or retimed, contributing to the present count of at least 16 domestic cancellations and a much larger number of delays and minor reschedulings across the network.
How Many Flights Are Being Affected and Who Is Most Impacted
Headline figures from recent days show dozens of cancellations and hundreds of delays on select days across major Chinese carriers, of which the current cluster of at least 16 domestic cancellations is a notable part. While this is a small fraction of the total number of daily departures nationwide, its impact is disproportionate because many of the affected flights are key connectors between major hubs or are scheduled at peak times favored by both business and leisure travelers.
Passengers most likely to feel the brunt of the disruption are those relying on tight domestic connections, especially itineraries that involve one or two stops between interior cities and the coast. Travelers flying, for example, from smaller western or northern cities into Beijing or Shanghai with onward links to Guangzhou, Shenzhen or Xiamen are vulnerable to missed connections if their first leg is cancelled or significantly delayed. Similarly, flyers with same-day international departures from Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou face added risk if their domestic feeder flights are not operating as planned.
Families traveling for the Spring Festival holiday and students returning home or to university are heavily represented on these routes. Many have limited flexibility in travel dates due to holiday schedules and school calendars. Business travelers, particularly those involved in manufacturing, logistics, and cross-border trade, are also affected, as cancellations can disrupt time-sensitive site visits, supplier meetings and project kickoffs. For all of these groups, the practical consequence of one cancelled flight can be an overnight delay, the need to rebook on different airlines, or a detour through an alternative hub city.
What Affected Passengers Should Do Right Now
Travel experts and consumer advocates are urging passengers with upcoming flights in China to adopt a proactive approach. The first and most important step is to monitor flight status closely from 24 hours before departure, using airline apps, airport information pages and flight-tracking platforms. Because some cancellations are being decided on the same day due to weather or traffic-flow restrictions, checking only once at the time of booking is no longer sufficient.
If your domestic flight is cancelled, airlines typically offer free rebooking on the next available service on the same route, or on an alternative routing via another hub if capacity allows. During major peak periods such as Spring Festival, however, spare seats can be scarce, especially on high-demand city pairs like Beijing–Shanghai, Shanghai–Guangzhou and Beijing–Chengdu. Travelers should therefore be prepared to accept alternative times, different airports within the same city region, or routes involving a connection rather than a nonstop flight.
Passengers should also keep documentation of any disruption. In China, airlines and airports can issue formal delay or cancellation certificates that may be required for travel insurance claims, corporate expense reports or future compensation requests. Keeping boarding passes, booking confirmations and electronic receipts organized will help streamline any follow-up. Those traveling on complex itineraries that include train segments, hotels or tours should contact downstream providers as soon as a disruption is confirmed to adjust check-in times, transfer services and reservations where possible.
Impact on Fares, Availability and Future Travel Planning
The combination of surging demand, selective cancellations and reallocated aircraft is already having an effect on pricing and seat availability. Industry analysts note that average fares on key domestic routes out of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou remain elevated compared with pre-pandemic baselines, and that last-minute inventory during holiday peaks is particularly constrained. When flights are cancelled and passengers are moved onto remaining services, those flights can quickly sell out, leaving limited options for late bookers.
Looking beyond the immediate disruption, the pattern of cancellations offers insights into how airlines may continue to manage capacity in 2026. Reductions on Japan routes and other politically or economically sensitive markets may free up aircraft that can either deepen domestic frequency on profitable corridors or be shifted into alternative international markets such as Southeast Asia, South Korea and long-haul destinations in Australia and Europe. For travelers, this means domestic schedules will likely continue to evolve, especially around future peak periods such as the summer holiday season and the October Golden Week.
Frequent flyers and corporate travel planners may wish to build more slack into their itineraries, allowing longer connection times at major hubs and avoiding tight turnarounds between domestic and international legs. Where possible, choosing earlier departures in the day can also lower risk, as morning flights are less exposed to the knock-on effects of delays that accumulate throughout the afternoon and evening. Booking changeable fares, while more expensive up front, can provide valuable flexibility if schedules shift again.
Looking Ahead: Will Disruptions Continue Across China’s Domestic Network
The near-term outlook suggests that passengers should brace for continued volatility, at least through the end of the Spring Festival travel period in mid-March 2026. High traffic volumes, variable winter weather and the ongoing reshaping of international routes, particularly between China and Japan, all contribute to a complex operating environment. Airlines are likely to continue making short-notice schedule adjustments as they balance safety, profitability and regulatory requirements.
At the same time, major carriers are investing in measures designed to improve resilience and the passenger experience. Air China, for example, is rolling out enhanced digital tools such as broader use of mobile boarding passes and automated gates on a growing share of domestic departures, aiming to cut boarding times and ease congestion at key checkpoints. Other airlines are expanding customer service channels via apps and messaging platforms to speed up rebooking and communication when disruptions occur.
For now, travelers should approach domestic air travel in China with heightened awareness and a willingness to adapt. The current wave of at least 16 domestic flight cancellations, while modest in numerical terms, is symptomatic of a broader period of adjustment in China’s aviation sector. Those who stay informed, plan conservatively and remain flexible in routing and timing will be best positioned to navigate the disruptions as the country’s airlines work to stabilize operations in the months ahead.