Shanghai’s two airports canceled more than 1,300 flights as Typhoon Dolphin approached.
Why it matters: The cancellations hit one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs and can ripple through travel and logistics across the Yangtze River Delta. Authorities have also moved hundreds of thousands of people as eastern China braces for the storm.
- Shanghai’s two airports canceled more than 1,300 flights, AP reported Aug. 9, 2026.
- Authorities relocated about 300,000 people in surrounding regions as part of pre-storm preparations.
- AP reported Aug. 8 that eastern China, including Shanghai, was already shutting schools and tourist activities.
- Forecast rainfall in some areas was expected to reach 200-400 mm.
Shanghai moved quickly as Typhoon Dolphin neared China’s eastern coast, with AP reporting that the city’s two airports canceled more than 1,300 flights on Aug. 9, 2026. The disruption comes after AP reported on Aug. 8 that eastern China, including Shanghai, was already bracing for the storm with school and tourist-activity shutdowns and heavy rainfall forecasts.
The storm first affected parts of southern Japan. AP reported on Aug. 7 that Typhoon Dolphin had crossed that region and was expected to weaken as it moved toward China’s east coast.
Shanghai’s airport system is one of the world’s busiest aviation hubs, so the cancellations can affect domestic travel, business travel and logistics networks across the Yangtze River Delta. AP also reported that authorities relocated about 300,000 people in surrounding regions as part of pre-storm preparations.
For businesses moving people or goods through eastern China, the immediate issue is schedule reliability. The wider risk is that typhoon-related shutdowns can extend beyond airports into schools, tourist sites and other transport links as officials try to limit exposure before landfall.
Read AP’s report on the flight cancellations here. AP’s earlier report on eastern China’s preparations is here. AP’s report on the storm’s earlier impact in southern Japan is here.
By the numbers
- 1,300+ - Flights canceled at Shanghai’s two airports
- 300,000 - People relocated in surrounding regions
- 200-400 mm - Forecast rainfall in some areas
Yes, but: AP did not identify which airlines were affected or break out how many cancellations were departures versus arrivals.
What's next: AP said Typhoon Dolphin was expected to weaken as it moved toward China’s eastern coast, but final landfall details were not established in the provided reporting.