Travelers across China faced a turbulent start to the week as a fresh wave of flight cancellations and delays rippled through the country’s already strained aviation network. A cluster of Chinese carriers, including low cost operator 9 Air, regional player Tibet Airlines, and major airlines such as Hainan Airlines and China Eastern, scrapped at least 26 flights and delayed more than 200 services on key domestic and regional routes. The disruption has hit major hubs and secondary cities alike, stranding passengers in Beijing, Chengdu, Kunming, Ningbo, Jinan and beyond, with knock-on effects still working their way through the system.
A Sudden Wave of Cancellations Across Key Carriers
The latest disruption follows a pattern of operational strain that has become increasingly visible across China’s aviation sector in early 2026. While large numbers of cancellations in recent weeks have been driven by both severe winter weather and broader schedule reductions, the immediate impact of at least 26 newly grounded flights has been particularly sharp because they were concentrated on busy trunk and feeder routes serving major hubs. For many travelers, the news arrived only at the airport, as departure boards flipped from “on time” to “canceled” within hours of departure.
Among the carriers involved, 9 Air and Tibet Airlines accounted for a portion of the canceled services on domestic point to point routes, especially in western and southwestern China, where alternative transport options can be limited and flight frequency is lower than in the coastal corridors. Passengers reported sudden cancellations on routes linking smaller inland cities to major hubs such as Chengdu and Kunming, disrupting onward connections and leaving travelers with limited options aside from rebooking on later services or seeking ground transportation.
Larger network airlines, notably China Eastern and Hainan Airlines, added to the disruption as they adjusted or scrubbed flights linking hub cities with important regional destinations. China Eastern, one of the country’s biggest full service carriers, has already been reshaping its broader schedule in response to shifting demand patterns, especially on international and regional routes. Within China, these adjustments have translated into select cancellations on routes radiating from key airports such as Beijing and Kunming, tightening capacity on corridors that typically form the backbone of domestic travel.
Hainan Airlines has simultaneously been in the middle of significant operational changes, including a terminal shift at Sanya Phoenix International Airport. While this planned move is unrelated to the latest cancellations, the broader reconfiguration of schedules and ground operations has made the network more sensitive to disruption. When irregular operations occur, such as weather related delays or air traffic flow restrictions, they now tend to cascade more quickly across interconnected routes, amplifying the impact on passengers.
Beijing, Chengdu and Kunming Bear the Brunt
Beijing, Chengdu and Kunming emerged as three of the most visibly affected cities in the current round of disruptions. Beijing’s dual airport system, with Beijing Capital and Beijing Daxing handling a mix of domestic and international services, has been grappling with rolling schedule changes from multiple airlines. Recent operational data show delayed and retimed services, with some flights pushed back significantly on key trunk routes linking the capital with western and northwestern cities. For business travelers and government officials who rely heavily on same day return flights, these changes have eroded predictability and forced last minute adjustments.
In Chengdu, an increasingly important aviation hub for routes connecting China’s interior with both the east coast and neighboring countries, passengers have encountered a mix of outright cancellations and extended delays. Domestic routes from Chengdu to cities such as Kunming, Xi’an and Guangzhou are highly trafficked and form crucial links for tourism and trade. When cancellations occur on these corridors, rebooking options can quickly dry up, leaving stranded travelers competing for a shrinking pool of available seats.
Kunming, a key gateway to China’s southwest and neighboring Southeast Asia, has also seen a series of delayed and canceled services. The city’s role as a transfer point for travelers heading to and from Yunnan’s popular tourist destinations makes schedule reliability especially important during periods of peak demand. Disruptions in Kunming have had an outsized impact on leisure travelers, including those en route to trekking routes, nature reserves and cultural attractions that are often accessible only after an additional leg of ground travel.
Across these hubs, airport terminals have filled with long queues at airline service counters as passengers seek information, alternative flights and compensation. While many carriers have implemented standard irregular operations policies, including free rebooking on the next available flight or full refunds, the sheer volume of affected travelers has pushed customer service capacity to its limits. This has left some passengers waiting hours just to receive updated travel options.
Ningbo, Jinan and Secondary Cities Struggle With Limited Options
Beyond the major hubs, secondary cities such as Ningbo and Jinan have experienced their own share of turmoil. These airports play a critical role in linking provincial capitals and manufacturing centers to the national network, yet they often rely on a relatively small number of daily flights on each route. When even a single service is canceled, travelers can find themselves with few same day alternatives, especially on niche or low frequency routes operated by carriers like 9 Air or Tibet Airlines.
Ningbo, an important port city and industrial base on the eastern seaboard, has seen disruptions on routes connecting it to major commercial centers. Cancellations and delays on flights linking Ningbo with Beijing and other hubs have complicated travel for business passengers who depend on tight schedules to manage factory visits, logistics meetings and port operations. With many travelers working within time sensitive supply chains, even short term disruptions can have knock on effects that extend beyond the airport into broader economic activity.
In Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, disruptions have been closely felt on routes serving both leisure and business demand. Jinan has strong air links not only with Beijing and Shanghai but also with holiday destinations such as Sanya, which has itself been undergoing operational changes due to Hainan Airlines’ terminal shift. As schedules are adjusted and selected flights are removed or retimed, Jinan based passengers have faced uncertainty around onward connections, particularly for trips that include transfers at southern coastal airports.
Smaller inland cities have in many ways been the most vulnerable. Routes operated by low cost or regional airlines, often only a few times per week, provide essential connectivity for residents and businesses. When cancellations occur, passengers can find that the next available flight is not simply later in the day but several days away. In such cases, travelers are forced to choose between long distance high speed rail journeys, overnight buses or simply postponing their trips altogether.
Weather, Network Adjustments and Capacity Cuts Combine
Behind the latest cancellations and delays lies a complex combination of factors. Severe winter weather has played a central role, with storms, low visibility and runway conditions prompting safety grounded aircraft at airports across eastern, central and southwestern China. Recent reporting has highlighted dozens of weather induced cancellations and hundreds of delays among major carriers in early February, particularly around Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu. Once flights are delayed or grounded due to weather, crews and aircraft often end up out of position, creating a chain reaction that can affect services well beyond the original storm zone.
At the same time, many Chinese airlines are in the midst of deeper structural adjustments to their route networks. Over the past several months, carriers such as China Eastern, Hainan Airlines and others have announced significant reductions or suspensions on specific international and regional routes, including an extensive pullback from Japan. These long term schedule changes have reduced overall capacity and flexibility in the system. As a result, when irregular operations occur, there are fewer spare aircraft and fewer alternative flights available to absorb displaced passengers.
Low cost and regional carriers, including 9 Air and Tibet Airlines, face their own particular challenges. Operating with lean fleets and high aircraft utilization, these airlines have limited slack to recover once an aircraft is grounded or delayed. A single aircraft out of rotation can create a ripple effect across multiple legs in a single day, leading to cancellations and roll on delays affecting passengers in cities far removed from the original disruption.
Regulatory and air traffic management factors also contribute to the volatility. Airspace congestion, route restrictions and slot limitations at busy hubs can constrain the ability of airlines to quickly slot in additional recovery flights, even when aircraft and crew are available. The interplay of weather, network cuts and operational constraints has made the current wave of cancellations and delays particularly difficult for both airlines and passengers to navigate.
Scenes on the Ground: Stranded Passengers and Packed Terminals
On the ground, the human impact of the cancellations and delays has been stark. At Beijing’s airports, travelers have described crowded departure halls, with passengers sitting on floors near power outlets as they wait for updates or scramble to rebook. Lines at airline counters and self service kiosks have stretched across check in areas, particularly during the morning and evening peak periods when multiple delayed flights converge.
In Chengdu and Kunming, scenes have been similar. Families en route to reunions or holiday destinations have been left juggling luggage and children while trying to navigate changing departure times on their smartphones. Business travelers have reported missing key meetings or being forced to join conferences remotely from airport lounges and gate areas. For international travelers connecting via Chinese hubs, disruptions have sometimes meant missed onward flights and unplanned overnight stays.
Customer service teams have been working under sustained pressure. Airlines have deployed additional staff at some airports and encouraged passengers to use mobile apps and online platforms to manage changes, but for travelers facing complex itineraries or needing special assistance, in person help has often remained the only practical option. This, in turn, has added to long wait times, especially for those seeking compensation, hotel vouchers or rerouting through alternative cities.
Accommodation near key hubs has also come under pressure. As cancellations mounted, hotels near Beijing, Chengdu and Kunming airports reported higher than usual last minute demand from stranded travelers. In some cases, passengers reported struggling to secure same day rooms within easy reach of the terminals, particularly during busy convention or holiday periods. For budget travelers and those without travel insurance, the cost of unexpected overnight stays has added to the frustration.
How Airlines Are Responding and What Passengers Can Expect
In response to the wave of disruptions, affected airlines have implemented a mix of short term relief measures and longer term adjustments. For the immediate cancellations and significant delays, carriers such as China Eastern and Hainan Airlines have generally offered standard irregular operations support, including free changes to new dates on the same route and full refunds for passengers who choose not to travel. Where alternative flights were fully booked, some airlines have offered rerouting via different hubs, although availability has varied sharply by route and date.
For low cost carriers like 9 Air, which traditionally operate with more restrictive fare rules, irregular operations have prompted the suspension of some usual change fees and penalties. However, these carriers typically have fewer interline agreements, meaning that rebooking onto other airlines has remained rare. Passengers booked on smaller carriers have instead found themselves queued for the next available flight on the same airline, which in some cases has not departed until the following day.
Airports, too, have sought to ease the burden. Some terminals have extended operating hours at information desks, increased signage and announcements about delays, and provided guidance on using official airline channels instead of third party intermediaries. However, in practice, much of the burden has still fallen on travelers to track their own flights, monitor airline apps and act quickly when rebooking windows open.
Looking ahead, passengers can expect continued pockets of volatility as winter weather, ongoing schedule reductions and high seasonal demand intersect. While the specific cluster of 26 cancellations and more than 200 delays may ease as operations gradually normalize, the underlying drivers remain firmly in place. Airlines are likely to prioritize schedule reliability where possible, but with tighter fleets and slimmer margins for disruption, even localized issues may still produce outsized effects.
Practical Advice for Travelers Flying Within China Now
For travelers planning trips within or through China in the coming days and weeks, extra preparation is essential. Checking flight status repeatedly in the 24 hours before departure has become more important than ever, particularly for routes touching Beijing, Chengdu, Kunming, Ningbo, Jinan and other busy hubs. Travelers should pay close attention not only to departure times but also to any changes in terminals, as seen recently in Sanya where Hainan Airlines has shifted operations to a new terminal.
Booking itineraries with longer connection windows can provide a valuable buffer, especially when connecting from smaller regional airports onto long haul or cross country flights. While tight connections may look efficient on paper, the current environment of rolling delays means that an extra hour or two between flights can significantly reduce the risk of misconnecting. Where possible, travelers with critical time sensitive plans may want to favor morning departures, which tend to be less exposed to the cumulative effects of late running aircraft.
Carrying a basic “disruption kit” has also become a practical consideration. This can include essential medications, chargers, snacks and a change of clothes in carry on luggage, in case checked bags become temporarily inaccessible during long delays or rebookings. For those traveling with children or older relatives, having additional comfort items available can make extended waits in crowded terminals more manageable.
Finally, travelers are advised to familiarize themselves with the irregular operations policies of their chosen airline before departure. Understanding what compensation, rebooking rights and support are available during significant delays or cancellations can help passengers make faster, more informed decisions when disruptions occur. In an environment where flight schedules remain in flux and capacity is tighter than in previous years, informed and flexible travelers are best positioned to navigate the challenges now facing China’s domestic skies.