Air travel in China is facing a turbulent phase, and for thousands of passengers, it has meant flight cancellations, delayed connecting flights, long airport waits, and disrupted plans, according to News18.
Travellers across China faced this nightmare on April 19 with a wave of bad weather, surprise operational snags, and even a fuel shortage linked to the West Asia crisis turned major airports into chaos zones.
Over 1,400 delays and more than 100 cancellations in a short span, affecting both domestic and international routes, as per the Travel and Tour World report. Airlines such as Air China and China Eastern have been among the most impacted, with operational delays rippling across their extensive networks.
What’s behind this travel chaos?
The trouble reportedly started with nasty weather sweeping across the country.
Thick fog, strong winds, and heavy rain made take-offs and landings risky at several key hubs. On top of that, airlines battled day-to-day logistical headaches, like crew scheduling and ground handling delays.
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The situation reportedly worsened because of a fuel shortage on certain international routes, especially to Southeast Asia, caused by ongoing tensions in West Asia. As a result, a perfect storm grounded planes and left passengers staring at departure boards for hours.
Most affected cities
Air travel disruptions were particularly severe in Shanghai on April 19, with both Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport recording more than 200 flight delays and close to 20 cancellations combined.
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Meanwhile, Beijing reportedly experienced similar turbulence, reporting nearly 20 cancellations alongside over 180 delayed flights on the same day.
Other busy spots, including Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and the smaller city of Qiemo, also reported widespread disruptions. Major Chinese carriers such as Air China, China Eastern, China Express, and Chengdu Airlines were reportedly forced to scrap more than 261 flights nationwide and delay over 2,500 others.
