Hundreds of Travelers Disrupted Sweeping Asia as Dubai, Mumbai and More Airports Face 1,062 Cancellations and 3,880 Delays

On October 11, 2026, there were 1,062 aircraft cancellations and 3,880 reported delays at major airports in Asia, including Dubai and Mumbai. International aircraft operations were hampered, especially throughout Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, by the intensifying Middle East crisis, security threats, and preemptive airline suspensions. Additionally, assaults on Saudi aviation infrastructure compelled airlines to modify their timetables and cancel services. In the meanwhile, poor weather caused operating issues in several sections of India, and smoke from forest fires caused visibility issues at a number of Indonesian airports. As a result, hundreds of travelers experienced uncertainty, lost connections, and unforeseen changes to their itinerary.

Saudi Arabia’s Airport Attacks Trigger Major Aviation Disruption

Saudi Arabia is experiencing a serious aviation security emergency over Asia after renewed attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Associated Press reported another projectile strike on Sunday, following a deadly attack on Saturday. Houthi militants claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi aviation and energy infrastructure. Riyadh’s airport closure is directly linked to the security emergency. The National confirmed that flight cancellations were extending into subsequent days as airlines responded to the airport shutdown.

India–Saudi Arabia Flights Disrupted by Regional Security Concerns

Akasa Air extended its suspension of Riyadh and Jeddah flights until 13 October, citing security risks. Kochi airport officials confirmed cancellations affecting flights between Kerala and Saudi Arabia, as well as selected Doha and Ras Al Khaimah services.

These developments explain some international cancellations affecting Indian travellers, particularly those travelling to the Gulf. They do not establish that all 242 delays at Delhi or 107 delays at Bengaluru resulted from the conflict.

India Faces Rain and Thunderstorm Risks Alongside Gulf Route Suspensions

The India Meteorological Department issued warnings for heavy rainfall in parts of northern India on 11 October. Forecasts also indicated possible thunderstorms and gusty winds around Delhi.

India therefore faces two distinct considerations: confirmed Gulf-route cancellations linked to the security crisis, and adverse weather conditions that may affect domestic operations.

Airport Disruption Analysis across Asia: Riyadh, Dubai and Jeddah Face Heavy Cancellations

Saudi Arabia recorded some of the most severe cancellation figures in the supplied airport data. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh reported 454 cancellations and 10 delays, while King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah registered 114 cancellations and 176 delays.

King Fahd International Airport in Dammam recorded 39 cancellations and 71 delays. Medina reported 27 cancellations and 29 delays, while Abha experienced 21 cancellations and 17 delays.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Other Gulf Hubs Report Widespread Disruption

Dubai International Airport recorded 57 cancellations and 215 delays, making it another major disruption point. Abu Dhabi reported four cancellations and 81 delays, while Sharjah registered five cancellations and 78 delays.

Elsewhere, Doha’s Hamad International Airport recorded 18 cancellations and 105 delays. Bahrain International Airport reported nine cancellations and 23 delays, while Kuwait International Airport registered five cancellations and 10 delays.

These figures highlight the pressure on major international gateways serving passengers travelling between Asia, the Middle East and other regions.

India, China and Indonesia Experience Significant Flight Delays

Indian airports also experienced considerable disruption across Asia. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport reported 242 delays and nine cancellations. Bengaluru recorded 107 delays and 11 cancellations, while Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport registered 80 delays and 14 cancellations.

Hyderabad recorded 55 delays and five cancellations. Kochi reported 29 delays and four cancellations, while Navi Mumbai registered 16 delays and 10 cancellations.

Jakarta, Shanghai and Guangzhou Face Hundreds of Delays

Indonesia’s Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport recorded 288 delays and 16 cancellations, the highest delay figure among the airports across Asia.

In China, Shanghai Pudong reported 204 delays and five cancellations. Guangzhou Baiyun registered 150 delays and six cancellations, while Hong Kong International Airport recorded 123 delays and three cancellations.

Singapore Changi experienced 151 delays and three cancellations. Istanbul Airport reported 258 delays and 20 cancellations.

IATA	Airport	Cancelled Destination %	Cancelled Origin %
AHB	Abha Regional	30%	19%
AMM	Queen Alia Int’l	6%	6%
AUH	Abu Dhabi Int’l	0%	0%
BAH	Bahrain Int’l	4%	5%
BHH	Bisha Domestic	60%	60%
BLR	Bengaluru Int’l	1%	1%
BOM	Chatrapati Shivaji Int’l	1%	1%
CAN	Guangzhou Baiyun Int’l	0%	0%
CCJ	Calicut Int’l (Karipur)	9%	—
CGK	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int’l	1%	0%
CKG	Chongqing Jiangbei Int’l	—	0%
COK	Cochin Int’l (Kochi Int’l)	3%	—
CTU	Chengdu Shuangliu Int’l	—	0%
DAC	Shahjalal International Airport	—	2%
DEL	Indira Gandhi Int’l	0%	0%
DLC	Dalian Zhoushuizi Int’l	1%	—
DMM	King Fahd Int’l	16%	16%
DOH	Hamad Int’l	2%	2%
DXB	Dubai Int’l	5%	5%
HAS	Ha’il Regional	27%	30%
HGH	Hangzhou Xiaoshan Int’l	0%	0%
HKG	Hong Kong Int’l	0%	—
HYD	Rajiv Gandhi Int’l	1%	0%
ISB	Islamabad International Airport	4%	9%
IST	Istanbul Airport	1%	1%
JED	King Abdulaziz Int’l	14%	16%
KMG	Kunming Changshui Int’l	0%	1%
KWI	Kuwait Int’l	3%	—
KWE	Guiyang Longdongbao	1%	—
LKO	Amausi	5%	5%
LUM	Dehong Mangshi Airport	—	7%
MCT	Seeb Int’l	3%	4%
MED	Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz	16%	15%
MNL	Manila Int’l	0%	—
NMI	Navi Mumbai International	6%	9%
NKG	Nanjing Lukou Int’l	1%	0%
PEK	Beijing Capital Int’l	0%	0%
PKN	Iskandar	30%	40%
PKX	Beijing Daxing International Airport	1%	0%
PVG	Shanghai Pudong Int’l	0%	0%
RUH	King Khalid Int’l	61%	65%
SHA	Shanghai Hongqiao Int’l	1%	0%
SHJ	Sharjah Int’l	1%	1%
SIN	Singapore Changi	0%	—
TAO	Qingdao Jiaodong Int’l	—	1%
TFU	Chengdu Tianfu Int’l	0%	0%
TIF	Ta’if Regional	50%	45%
TUU	Tabuk Regional	27%	30%
TYN	Taiyuan Wusu	3%	3%
UPG	Sultan Hasanuddin Int’l	—	1%
WUX	Wuxi	2%	—
XIY	Xi’an Xianyang Int’l	0%	1%
XMN	Xiamen Gaoqi Int’l	—	0%

Airline Analysis for Asia: Saudia, flynas and China Eastern Among Most Affected

Saudi Arabian carriers reported particularly high cancellation numbers. Saudia recorded 186 cancellations, representing 36% of its listed flights, alongside 87 delays, or 17%.

Flynas reported 86 cancellations (34%) and 44 delays (17%). Meanwhile, flyadeal registered 74 cancellations (40%) and 21 delays (11%). Riyadh Air recorded 18 cancellations, representing 60%, with no delays.

China Eastern Airlines reported 54 cancellations (2%) and 251 delays (11%), demonstrating substantial operational disruption by volume.

Emirates, IndiGo and Turkish Airlines Report Significant Delays

Emirates registered 22 cancellations (4%) and 127 delays (23%), while Qatar Airways reported 14 cancellations (2%) and 94 delays (14%).

India’s IndiGo recorded 300 delays (13%) and nine cancellations (0% when rounded), making it the most delayed airline in the supplied data.

Turkish Airlines followed closely with 295 delays (18%) and eight cancellations (0% when rounded). Batik Air recorded 20 cancellations (6%) and 81 delays (25%).

Air Arabia reported five cancellations (2%) and 74 delays (31%), while flydubai registered four cancellations (1%) and 82 delays (30%).

What Affected Passengers across Asia Should Do Now

Passengers travelling through affected Asian airports should check their flight status directly with their airline before leaving for the airport. Travellers facing cancellations should contact their carrier to request alternative flights, refunds or rebooking options, subject to applicable rules and ticket conditions.

Those connecting through Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Delhi or Jakarta should allow additional time and confirm their onward flights. Passengers should also retain booking confirmations, cancellation notifications and receipts for unexpected expenses.

Importantly, travellers should review airline advisories and airport announcements rather than relying solely on third-party flight trackers.

Conclusion

Air travel across Asia faced widespread disruption on 11 October 2026, with 1,062 flight cancellations and 3,880 delays reported across major airports in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, India, China, Indonesia and neighbouring countries. Riyadh recorded the highest number of cancellations, while Jakarta faced the most delays. Meanwhile, Saudia, flynas, flyadeal, Emirates and several Asian carriers reported significant schedule changes, leaving passengers facing uncertainty over departures, connections and onward journeys.

Data Verification Notice

The flight disruption data in Asia presented in this report was carefully compiled and reviewed by our editorial team using real-time aviation statistics recorded on 11 October 2026 at 2:41 pm ET (USA) / 10:41 pm GST (Gulf Standard Time).

Primary Sources: FlightAware and Local Correspondent

Editorial Verification Process: All reported flight delays, cancellations and related statistics have undergone independent verification and cross-checking by our human editorial team. Timestamped flight records, operational data logs and feed snapshots have been securely archived internally to maintain historical accuracy, data integrity and editorial transparency.

Important Note: Real-time flight-tracking information reflects continuously changing airline schedules, airspace conditions and airport operations. Therefore, minor differences may occur between the figures published in this report and those displayed on airline websites, airport information boards or departure gates.

Yesterday, major airports in Asia reported widespread travel disruption. Click here to read the full report.

Verified by Somudranil Sarkar