Shandong Airlines (SC) August 2025 Operational Report

Flight Activity Overview

Total arriving flights: 19,855

Year-over-year change: -0.04%

Shandong Airlines kept arrivals broadly stable versus last August, indicating a mature domestic demand profile and disciplined capacity deployment across eastern China. Trunk routes linking Shandong province with Beijing, Shanghai, and key coastal cities maintained solid load factors, while selected secondary city pairs saw frequency trims to balance demand. The carrier prioritized schedule integrity and airport slot efficiency over aggressive growth, aligning flying with late‑summer travel patterns.

On-time performance and cancellations

On-time arrival rate: 88.17%

Change in on-time rate: +3.85 percentage points

Cancelled flights: 1,026

Year-over-year change (cancellations): +1.27%

Punctuality improved on the year, supported by steadier weather conditions in North China and tighter control of turn times at base airports. Cancellations clustered around afternoon peak waves due to air traffic flow management and ground congestion, but the airline mitigated knock‑on delays through proactive aircraft swaps and crew re‑rostering. Maintenance planning and spare‑aircraft positioning were refined to protect the evening return bank and sustain reliability.

Key hubs

Core hubs include Jinan and Qingdao, which funnel traffic from Shandong’s inland cities into national and regional networks. Services through Beijing and other coastal gateways strengthen access to major business centers and leisure markets, supporting both point‑to‑point demand and connections. Wave scheduling concentrates departures and arrivals to enable short connection times within Shandong and onward to central and southern China.

Outlook

For travelers, Shandong Airlines offers reliable operations with punctuality in the high‑80 percent range and broad domestic coverage, making it a practical choice for journeys into and out of Shandong. Expect schedule fine‑tuning around the Mid‑Autumn and early Golden Week peaks, with advice to allow a bit more time for transfers during late‑afternoon rush hours. The airline plans to maintain its current reliability trend, enhance customer touchpoints at bases, and selectively add capacity on markets showing sustained demand.