The Price of Bullying: Chinese Airlines Scaling Back Flights to Hungary

Further changes are affecting air connections between Budapest and China. Following the cancellation of Hainan Airlines’ Shenzhen service, China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines are also cutting flights.

Several flights to Ningbo have been removed from the schedule, while the Xi’an–Budapest route will be suspended for several months, Budflyer reported.

Contrary to the previously announced schedule, flights between Ningbo and Budapest will not operate on November 5, 9, 12, and 16, as well as December 3 and 14.

A longer hiatus is coming for the Xi’an–Budapest route: the once-weekly flight will not carry passengers from November 7 through February 26, 2027. According to the report,

this will interrupt the only direct air link between the two cities for several months.

Regarding the reasons behind the changes, Budflyer notes that airlines generally do not provide explanations for cancellations or suspensions. In the case of Hainan Airlines, a business decision was made, which may have been influenced by high global fuel prices and the withdrawal of marketing support previously provided for the flight. The report does not specify the exact reason for the flight changes by China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines.

Budflyer recommends that affected passengers check the status of their reservations and explore rebooking options. In case of any issues, they should contact the airline directly or the travel agency handling their reservation.

As Világgazdaság reports, due to changes in Hungary’s regulatory environment,

an increasing number of Chinese companies are facing additional inspections and protracted licensing procedures.

Since the TISZA government took office, Asian investments have come under repeated attack. Most recently, the permit for Dongwha Electrolyte’s planned production facility in Sóskút was revoked. The economic consequences of stricter inspections may extend beyond individual plants.

In recent years, Hungary has attracted significant Asian capital to the battery and automotive industries, and these investments have the potential to create jobs, generate orders for suppliers, and boost export revenue. If licensing procedures are delayed or a company is forced to restructure its operations, this could also lead to changes in production plans.

Developments in Hungary could serve as a warning for other European investments. The the revocation of Dongwha Electrolyte’s permit is not an isolated case: multiple Hungarian battery industry investments have also come under stricter environmental scrutiny. Examples include the environmental issue at Semcorp’s plant in Debrecen, regulatory actions against CATL, and the review of BYD’s investment in Szeged have all eroded Chinese confidence.