Travel Turmoil Hits Asia: 77 Cancellations and 611 Delays Leave Thousands Stranded as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Malaysia, Tibet, Taiwan

Air travel across Asia faced severe operational chaos as eight major airlines—Shenzhen Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Tibet Airlines and Mandarin Airlines—cancelled dozens of flights across critical hubs. Passengers were stranded across Beijing, Shanghai, Hanoi, Lhasa, Tianjin, Xi’an, Doha and Amsterdam as terminals overflowed and connections collapsed.

According to operational data, the region recorded 77 cancellations and over 611 delays, triggering cascading disruptions across domestic and international networks.

Full List of Cancellations by Airline

(Shenzhen Airlines, China Eastern, Hainan, China Southern, Shanghai Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Tibet Airlines, Mandarin Airlines)

Shenzhen Airlines
CSZ9917 – Shenzhen → Qingdao
CSZ9893 – Shenzhen → Hangzhou
CSZ9918 – Qingdao → Shenzhen
CSZ9894 – Hangzhou → Shenzhen
CSZ9208 – Xi’an → Shenzhen
CSZ8657 – Nantong → Taiyuan
CSZ9602 – Shenyang → Shenzhen
CSZ9546 – Chengdu Tianfu → Wuxi
CSZ8658 – Taiyuan → Nantong
CSZ9545 – Wuxi → Chengdu Tianfu
CSZ8759 – Quanzhou → Yibin
CSZ9375 – Nanning → Nanjing
CSZ9172 – Nantong → Beijing Capital
CSZ9592 – Chongqing → Nanjing
CSZ9171 – Beijing Capital → Nantong
CSZ9591 – Nanjing → Chongqing

China Eastern Airlines
CES2301 – Xi’an → Guangzhou
CES5448 – Chengdu → Shanghai Hongqiao
CES5209 – Shanghai Pudong → Taiyuan
CES2168 – Shanghai Hongqiao → Xi’an
CES5447 – Shanghai Hongqiao → Chengdu
CES5389 – Shanghai Pudong → Guilin
CES6415 – Qingdao → Nanchang
CES6416 – Nanchang → Qingdao
CES6209 – Kunming → Dongsheng
CES5291 – Shanghai Hongqiao → Changsha
CES5192 – Hangzhou → Beijing Daxing
CES5160 – Beijing Capital → Shanghai Hongqiao
CES6814 – Lanzhou → Shanghai Hongqiao
CES2166 – Shanghai Hongqiao → Xi’an
CES6396 – Taiyuan → Chengdu Tianfu
CES2258 – Qingdao → Lanzhou
CES6543 – Shanghai Pudong → Datong
CES6014 – Hanoi → Shanghai Pudong (+07)
CES6210 – Dongsheng → Kunming
CES5292 – Changsha → Shanghai Hongqiao

Hainan Airlines
CHH7398 – Hangzhou → Shenzhen
CHH7361 – Guangzhou → Hangzhou
CHH7393 – Shenzhen → Hangzhou
CHH7497 – Lanzhou → Tianjin
CHH7497 – Tianjin → Dalian
CHH7785 – Changsha → Ningbo
CHH7498 – Dalian → Tianjin
CHH7786 – Ningbo → Changsha
CHH7427 – Shanghai Pudong → Chengdu
CHH7810 – Guangzhou → Beijing
CHH7351 – Guangzhou → Chengdu
CHH7498 – Tianjin → Lanzhou
CHH7813 – Beijing → Guangzhou
CHH7352 – Chengdu → Guangzhou
CHH7428 – Chengdu → Shanghai Pudong
CHH7588 – Guilin → Xi’an

China Southern Airlines
CSN3872 – Nanjing → Guangzhou
CSN6119 – Beijing Daxing → Chengdu
CSN6120 – Chengdu → Beijing Daxing
CSN3871 – Guangzhou → Nanjing

Shanghai Airlines
CSH9455 – Shanghai Hongqiao → Guiyang
CSH9215 – Shanghai Hongqiao → Lanzhou
CSH9216 – Lanzhou → Shanghai Hongqiao
CSH9139 – Shanghai Hongqiao → Taiyuan

Malaysia Airlines
MAS3048 – Labuan → Kota Kinabalu
MAS3470 – Miri → Limbang
MAS6126 – Doha → Amsterdam
MAS3471 – Limbang → Miri
MAS3630 – Miri → Mulu
MAS3753 – Mulu → Kuching
MAS6127 – Amsterdam → Doha

Tibet Airlines
TBA9996 – Shenyang → Xi’an
TBA9964 – Xi’an → Lhasa
TBA9850 – Qamdo → Lhasa
TBA9720 – Lhasa → Chongqing

Mandarin Airlines
MDA1251 – Taipei Songshan → Kinmen
MDA337 – Kaohsiung → Makung
MDA338 – Makung → Kaohsiung
MDA1252 – Kinmen → Taipei
MDA1255 – Taipei → Kinmen
MDA1256 – Kinmen → Taipei

Airport Impact Analysis

Shanghai (Pudong & Hongqiao). Highest cancellation volume, slot constraints, runway sequencing problems.

Shenzhen (SZX). Traffic density and peak-hour bottlenecks affecting Shenzhen and Hainan Airlines.

Guangzhou (CAN). Load pressure across China Southern and Hainan.

Chengdu Tianfu (TFU). Likely airspace flow control and weather instability.

Xi’an (XIY). Congestion across central/northern China airspace.

Taipei, Kinmen, Doha, Amsterdam. International ripple effects caused by Malaysia Airlines and Mandarin Airlines.

Primary Causes Behind the Disruptions

- severe weather fluctuations across coastal and inland regions;
- Air Traffic Flow Control (ATFC) at high-density hubs;
- crew rotation delays;
- ground-handling shortages;
- low-visibility conditions;
- international schedule imbalance.

Impact on Travelers and Tourism Connectivity

- missed domestic/international connections;
- overcrowded terminals in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou;
- reduced access to tourism destinations such as Guilin, Lhasa, Xi’an, Chengdu;
- heavy pressure on rebooking systems;
- long waiting times at customer-service counters.

Advice for Affected Passengers

- monitor live flight status;
- rebook early—seat availability is limited;
- keep documents for refund claims;
- arrive early due to long queues;
- use airline apps for faster updates;
- monitor weather and ATFC bulletins.

Expert Conclusion by International Investment
“The disruption in Asia highlights the rising operational strain within regional aviation networks. High demand, dense airspace and interlinked hub dependencies make the system vulnerable to cascading failures. With weather volatility increasing, similar episodes may occur again. Both investors and the tourism sector must prepare for higher operational risk in the months ahead.”