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Typhoon Dolphin causes flight chaos in China, with Shanghai set to enter danger zone
Airlines offer free flight changes and cancellations ahead of the storm, which is expected to bring torrential rain to the region
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Meredith ChenPublished: 1:04pm, 8 Aug 2026Flights serving eastern China were disrupted on Saturday as Typhoon Dolphin approached the coast, with some services cancelled and airlines offering flexible rebooking and refund options for affected passengers.
Most of the typhoon-related flight disruptions have been reported at airports in the cities of Ningbo, Wenzhou, Taizhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai, according to Chinese media.
Some travellers also reported receiving notifications that flights to and from Shanghai on Sunday and Monday would be cancelled, and shared concerns about possible disruptions in other cities on social media.
Flight service app Umetrip showed that Shanghai Pudong International Airport had 937 scheduled departing flights on Saturday, with 130 delayed and 66 cancelled as of noon. Another 72 arriving flights had been cancelled.
Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport had 69 flights cancelled on Saturday, including 35 departures and 34 arrivals, according to Umetrip.
Zhejiang province and Shanghai will be in the storm’s “dangerous semicircle”, where stronger winds and heavier rainfall are expected, according to the National Meteorological Centre (NMC).AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed00:0000:001.00x