Severe winter weather across large parts of China has triggered widespread disruption to air travel, grounding dozens of aircraft and delaying hundreds more at some of the country’s busiest aviation hubs. As snow, freezing rain, fog and low cloud moved across northern and central regions, at least 28 flights were reported grounded and 607 delayed, leaving passengers stranded in and between major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Xi’an. Flag carriers Air China and China Eastern, along with regional operator China Express Airlines, have been forced into rapid operational adjustments as they struggle to keep aircraft, crew and airport infrastructure moving safely.

What Is Happening Across China’s Skies Right Now

Over the past 24 hours, a belt of unstable winter weather stretching from northern China into the central provinces has triggered cascading aviation disruption. Beijing and Shanghai, which together form one of the busiest air corridors in the world, have been hit by periods of low visibility, freezing precipitation and shifting winds that complicate runway operations and air traffic control. Further south and inland, Wuhan and Xi’an have seen thick cloud, fog and intermittent rain that have reduced arrival and departure capacity just as the morning and evening banks of flights reach their peak.

Against that backdrop, airline and airport data show at least 28 flights grounded outright and more than 600 delayed, with knock-on effects reaching secondary cities connected through these hubs. While on paper those figures represent a small fraction of the thousands of flights scheduled each day across China, the concentration of problems at major nodes in the network greatly amplifies the impact. A delayed departure from Beijing or Shanghai can mean missed connections in Wuhan or Xi’an, and a single grounded aircraft can disrupt several rotations over the course of a day.

Grounding decisions are typically made when a combination of factors make safe operation uncertain: rapidly changing visibility on final approach, the risk of ice accumulation on wings or runways, wind shear around airports or the temporary closure of taxiways and aprons for de-icing operations. In this latest episode, those conditions have appeared in quick succession across multiple airports, forcing airlines to hold aircraft on the ground until weather windows open and air traffic control clears backlogs. That, in turn, has led to crowded terminals, long queues at service counters and mounting frustration for travelers trying to move between China’s economic and political centers.

Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Xi’an: Four Critical Hubs Under Strain

Beijing’s main airports sit at the northern edge of the affected weather system, where frigid air and passing storm bands often meet. When snow or freezing drizzle combine with low cloud, arrival rates into the capital can fall sharply. Air traffic controllers are forced to increase spacing between aircraft, ground crews slow de-icing and runway sweeping operations, and holding patterns build up in the skies above the city. Even short disruptions ripple into hours of delay, particularly on the heavily trafficked Beijing–Shanghai and Beijing–central China routes.

Shanghai’s dual-hub system, serving both international and domestic traffic, is especially vulnerable when storms or coastal fog move in off the East China Sea. When visibility falls below strict minima for instrument approaches, controllers may temporarily suspend landings or divert flights to alternative airports inland. At the same time, congested airspace around Shanghai means there is limited room to reroute aircraft or add extra holding patterns, so small timing changes compound quickly into large-scale delays. For passengers, that often translates into late-night or early-morning arrivals, missed train connections out of the city and overcrowded baggage halls.

Further inland, Wuhan and Xi’an play a crucial role as transfer points linking east coast megacities with central and western China. In Wuhan, recent live departure data has shown nearly half of flights facing significant departure delays and average hold-ups stretching well beyond an hour as low cloud and poor visibility cut into available runway slots. Xi’an, meanwhile, sits on busy east–west corridors where arriving traffic from Beijing and Shanghai must be carefully sequenced. Weather-induced slowdowns at one end of the network quickly manifest as cascading delays at the other, and once crews “time out” under duty rules, aircraft can be stranded without legally available pilots or cabin staff.

How Air China Is Managing Grounded Aircraft and Long Delays

Air China, the country’s flagship carrier, has borne a substantial share of the disruption as its network relies heavily on Beijing and Shanghai hubs. When bad weather degrades airport capacity, the airline’s operations control center in Beijing must rapidly decide which flights to operate, which to delay and which to ground entirely. Priority is often given to trunk routes with large numbers of connecting passengers, such as Beijing to Shanghai or Beijing to major provincial capitals, while lower-frequency regional services risk longer waits or cancellations.

In practice, “grounded” flights typically fall into two categories. In some instances, aircraft remain at the gate or on remote stands with passengers kept in the terminal as crews wait for a confirmed weather improvement and a new slot time from air traffic control. In others, particularly where onward connections are already lost or operating windows are closing at destination airports, flights are proactively cancelled and passengers are rebooked onto later services. Air China has been deploying additional staff at its transfer desks in Beijing and Shanghai to handle these rebookings, but at peak disruption periods queues can stretch for hundreds of meters.

For affected travelers, Air China’s handling policies generally include free changes to the next available flight on the same route and, in longer disruptions, hotel accommodation and meal vouchers where local regulations and company rules apply. The airline also uses its mobile app, SMS messages and airport display systems to push updated departure times and gate information. However, as many Chinese travelers have experienced in previous weather disruptions, information is often released in short increments and subject to sudden revision as conditions change, leaving passengers uncertain whether to stay at the gate, queue for rebooking or seek alternative transport such as high-speed rail.

China Eastern and the Challenge of a Weather-Hit East Coast Network

China Eastern, which maintains its primary hub in Shanghai, faces a different but equally complex set of pressures. Its network is deeply intertwined with the dense aviation and rail infrastructure of the Yangtze River Delta, one of China’s most economically dynamic and heavily traveled regions. When fog or storms limit movements at Shanghai’s airports, China Eastern has limited capacity to reroute through nearby alternatives because those airports are quickly saturated with diversions and additional traffic.

To contain the latest disruption, China Eastern has been consolidating services on some routes, combining passengers from multiple lightly booked flights onto a single operating aircraft where schedule and airport slot rules allow. This frees up airframes and crews to be redeployed onto more time-sensitive or long-haul routes, but it can mean passengers see their original flight numbers cancelled even as they are moved onto different departure times. At check-in and boarding areas, this produces confusion when display boards and boarding passes do not immediately match, especially for travelers not accustomed to frequent last-minute changes.

The airline is also leaning on digital tools to inform customers of changes. China Eastern’s app and customer service platforms have been issuing rolling notifications of delays and cancellations, along with options for fee-free rebooking in cases directly linked to the weather event. For passengers already at the airport, ground agents are tasked with making announcements in both Chinese and English, although in crowded terminals the messages can be hard to hear. Travelers connecting from or to international flights through Shanghai are being urged to leave longer connection times or, where possible, consider overnight stays to reduce the risk of misconnecting during periods of unstable weather.

China Express Airlines and the Strain on Regional Connectivity

While the headlines tend to focus on the big state-owned carriers, the severe weather has also hit regional operators such as China Express Airlines, which connects secondary and tertiary cities with larger hubs. These smaller carriers often operate tight schedules with limited spare aircraft, so a single grounded or heavily delayed flight can upend an entire day’s flying program on a given route. When aircraft cannot reach Wuhan, Xi’an or other central hubs on time, onward connections to smaller cities are missed, leaving travelers marooned far from their eventual destinations.

China Express Airlines has been working to protect core links that serve as feeders into the national network, even if that means temporarily suspending lower-demand flights. This triage approach helps maintain at least a skeleton level of connectivity between major and secondary cities. However, it also means some passengers in smaller markets face overnight delays or must be rebooked via entirely different routings, often involving long detours or surface segments on rail or bus.

Because regional airports generally have fewer hotels and limited capacity in terminal waiting areas, protracted weather disruptions can be particularly uncomfortable for passengers using China Express services. The airline coordinates with local airport authorities to provide basic amenities and transport to city centers when late-night curfews or temporary airport closures come into force. Passengers are advised to keep boarding passes, identity documents and receipts from any emergency expenses, as these may be needed later when seeking reimbursement or customer service support.

Why Weather Disruptions Hit China’s Aviation System So Hard

China’s air travel market has expanded at remarkable speed over the past decade, with major hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu now handling thousands of daily movements and tens of millions of passengers each year. That growth has brought congestion to airspace and airport infrastructure that were already operating near capacity even before seasonal weather systems hit. When severe conditions arrive, there is simply less slack in the system to absorb delays, reschedule flights or reposition aircraft and crews.

Weather is also more than just an inconvenience; it is a central factor in aviation safety. Heavy snow, thunderstorms, dense fog and low cloud ceilings can compromise visibility and runway friction, increase the risk of lightning strikes or wind shear on approach and complicate the management of aircraft separations in busy terminal areas. Chinese regulators and airlines, mindful of both past incidents and international safety standards, have steadily tightened operating procedures in poor weather. That has improved safety margins but often at the cost of on-time performance during the most intense weather episodes.

Another structural issue is the complex coordination required between the Civil Aviation Administration of China, airport operators, air traffic control and airlines themselves. When bad weather sweeps across multiple regions at once, all of these actors must simultaneously adjust operating plans, reallocate runway slots, recalibrate departure rates and manage diversions. Even small communication lags or mismatches in expectations can manifest as long queues of aircraft on tarmacs or in holding patterns, while passengers in terminal buildings wait for concrete information that may not exist until the weather stabilizes.

What Stranded Passengers Need to Know About Affected Flights

For travelers caught up in this latest round of disruptions, understanding how to navigate the situation can make a significant difference in comfort and eventual arrival times. The first priority is to confirm the status of any upcoming flight directly with the operating carrier, either through official mobile apps, SMS alerts or airport departure boards. Because conditions can change quickly, checking repeatedly in the hours before departure is essential. If a flight is listed as “delayed” without a new estimated time, passengers should expect potential rolling delays and consider adjusting onward plans such as train tickets or hotel reservations.

When flights are grounded or cancelled outright, Air China, China Eastern, China Express and other carriers generally allow fee-free changes to the next available service on the same route. In some cases, especially on heavily trafficked routes between major cities, it may be possible to switch airlines or reroute via a different hub, although this usually depends on specific ticket conditions and fare classes. Passengers booked through online travel agencies or corporate travel desks may need to work through those intermediaries to access rebooking options, which can slow the process during peak disruption periods.

At the airport, travelers should locate their airline’s dedicated service counters or transfer desks as soon as they learn of a cancellation, as queues lengthen rapidly. Keeping essential items such as medications, chargers, snacks and warm clothing in carry-on bags is highly advisable, given the possibility of extended waits in terminal seating areas. Families traveling with children or elderly relatives may wish to request priority assistance or special services from airline staff, who can often help secure more suitable seating or provide updates more quickly once rebooking options become available.

While no traveler can completely avoid the impact of severe weather on aviation, there are practical steps that can reduce risk and stress when flying through China’s major hubs during volatile seasons. One of the most effective strategies is building longer connection times into itineraries that pass through Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan or Xi’an, especially when traveling in winter or during the summer storm season. Rather than choosing the tightest possible connection to save an hour, it is often wiser to allow several hours between flights, giving the schedule room to absorb moderate delays.

Another consideration is the time of day. Early-morning departures are sometimes less affected by cumulative delays, as the day’s operations have not yet fully ramped up and overnight weather systems may have passed. However, in periods of persistent fog or low cloud, first-wave flights can also be the ones most at risk. Checking recent patterns of delay at specific airports and routes can offer clues as to whether early or mid-day flights are performing better during a given weather pattern.

Travelers should also pay close attention to ticket flexibility. Fully flexible or semi-flexible fares often include more generous provisions for same-day changes or rerouting, which can be invaluable during large-scale weather disruptions. Even for leisure travelers, paying slightly more for a ticket that allows changes without heavy penalties can be a worthwhile form of insurance when traveling through weather-prone hubs. Finally, maintaining up-to-date contact information with airlines and enabling app notifications ensures that critical updates on delays, gate changes or rebooked flights reach passengers as quickly as possible.