Japan Amid Major Travel Disruption as Airports in Tokyo, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Osaka Experience 43 Cancellations with over 500 Delays by Air Do, All Nippon and others, New Update

Published on November 29, 2025

Air travelers across Japan faced massive disruption today. Specifically, major flight cancellations and delays struck four key airports. These hubs serve the huge metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Osaka. Therefore, hundreds of journeys were immediately thrown into chaos. First, 43 flights were cancelled outright. Moreover, an astonishing 585 flights experienced severe delays. This total operational collapse forced airlines like All Nippon and Air Do into rapid response mode. In fact, Tokyo’s Haneda Airport recorded the highest number of overall disruptions. Consequently, passengers must immediately verify their flight status. This widespread air travel problem signals a major logistical hurdle for the entire nation.

Major Airports Affected

The four major hubs experienced varying degrees of disruption, with the impact being distributed across the main islands of Japan.

• Haneda Airport (Tokyo International Airport): The largest volume of operational irregularity was recorded at the nation’s primary domestic and international gateway. A total of 27 cancellations were registered, alongside a significant number of 290 delays. This places the air traffic hub of Tokyo as the most severely affected airport, measured by the volume of delayed flights.
• Kansai Int’l Airport: Serving the Greater Osaka area, this international airport experienced the second-highest number of flight delays. While only 2 cancellations were reported, a total of 150 flights were registered with operational delays.
• New Chitose Airport: The main air access point for Sapporo was also significantly affected. A total of 12 flights were cancelled and 75 delays were documented. The cancellation figures at New Chitose were the second-highest across the four affected airports.
• Fukuoka Airport: This key hub in the southern region was noted with 2 cancellations. However, a significant number of 70 flights were subjected to delays.

Collectively, these operational setbacks reflect a widespread strain on air traffic control and ground services across Japan.

Impacted Airlines

• All Nippon: This carrier bore the heaviest burden of the disruption, with 22 cancellations and 125 delays being attributed to its services. At Haneda, 16 cancellations and 99 delays were recorded for the airline. Further north, 2 cancellations and 14 delays were noted at New Chitose. Operations were also affected at Fukuoka, where 2 cancellations and 8 delays were registered and at Kansai Int’l, where 2 cancellations and 4 delays were reported.
• Air Do: The carrier was highly impacted by cancellations, particularly in the northern regions. Air Do recorded 20 total cancellations and 12 delays. At Haneda, 10 cancellations and 8 delays were logged, while 10 cancellations and 4 delays were documented at New Chitose, the gateway to Sapporo.
• Delta Air Lines: The international service provider was observed with a minimal but notable impact, registering 1 cancellation and 1 delay, both at Haneda Airport in Tokyo.

Beyond these specific figures, delays were being experienced by several other Airlines, like Japan Airlines, ANA Wings, Skymark, Peach Aviation and more.

Probable Impact on Local Tourism

The geographical distribution of the flight disruptions suggests a significant impact on all major economic and cultural centers of Japan. The high concentration of cancelled flights in Tokyo and Sapporo, combined with the extensive delays in Osaka and Fukuoka, directly affects the primary transport links used by tourists and business travelers alike. The 43 total cancellations across the system mean that a substantial number of travel itineraries were halted before departure, requiring complex re-accommodation logistics.

Furthermore, the scale of delays—585 in total—particularly at Tokyo Haneda (290 delays) and Osaka Kansai Int’l (150 delays), suggests that connecting flights and onward travel plans were widely compromised. The operational performance of the entire air network in Japan is being scrutinised, as efficient air travel is paramount for the nation’s connectivity and economic activity. Given that the disruptions are occurring across such critical air traffic hubs, the necessary recovery operations will undoubtedly command significant resources and attention from all affected stakeholders.

What Affected Passengers Can Do Now

In the wake of 43 cancellations and 585 total delays, passengers whose travel plans were interrupted are being strongly advised to seek official information from their operating carrier. Since the disruptions involve All Nippon, Air Do and Delta Air Lines, all subsequent rebooking, refund, or compensation procedures are being handled by these respective airlines. It is highly recommended that affected passengers verify their flight status directly with the carrier before traveling to the airport. Official notices from the airlines regarding updated schedules and re-accommodation options are expected to be issued promptly as the disruption is managed across the affected airports in Japan.

-The information provided is sourced from FlightAware.