As the May Day holiday approaches, many people are making travel plans. However, it has been observed that numerous social media users recently reported receiving cancellation notices for flights they booked in advance. Topics related to large-scale flight cancellations have become trending online. One traveler mentioned, "My round-trip tickets from Shanghai to Bangkok for the May Day holiday were canceled outright, with the entire route discontinued—no rebooking options were available." Multiple passengers have indicated that flights from China to Southeast Asian destinations are experiencing widespread cancellations, affecting popular locations such as Bangkok, Phuket, and Vientiane.
So what is the reason behind these flight cancellations? According to Qi Qi, an expert from the China Civil Aviation High-Quality Development Research Center, "High oil prices, particularly the elevated cost of jet fuel, along with its availability, are the direct causes. This large-scale cancellation is not primarily attributable to domestic airlines. For foreign carriers, especially those from Southeast Asia, which lack strong refining capabilities and rely almost entirely on imported jet fuel, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has significantly disrupted their fuel supply chain. These airlines are canceling flights not only due to high prices but also because they genuinely face fuel shortages."
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