Flights Cancelled in Asia as Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Japan Cancel 477 and Delay 5,399 Impacting China Southern, SpiceJet, Garuda, Saudia, Oman Air, Aeroflot and More Airlines at Jakarta, Moscow, Jeddah, Tokyo and Others

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Flights cancelled in Asia as Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Japan Cancel 477 and Delay 5,399 impacting China Southern, SpiceJet, Garuda Indonesia, Saudia, Oman Air, Aeroflot and more airlines at Jakarta, Moscow, Jeddah, Tokyo and others is unfolding as a major travel disruption across multiple regions. The situation is being driven by severe weather instability, including heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and flood risks that are affecting airport operations and air traffic flow management across Asia. Airports in Jakarta, Moscow, Jeddah and Tokyo are experiencing cascading schedule delays as airlines reduce operations for safety reasons. China Southern, SpiceJet, Garuda Indonesia, Saudia, Oman Air, Aeroflot and other carriers are adjusting flight schedules, cancelling services and managing extended delay backlogs across both domestic and international routes.

Weather Chaos and Atmospheric Instability Driving Aviation Disruptions

South China Faces Torrential Rain and Flood Threats

South China is experiencing intensified rainfall with heavy to torrential downpours spreading across Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian. The National Meteorological Center has issued a yellow rainstorm alert along with a blue alert for severe convective weather, indicating thunderstorms, strong winds and unstable atmospheric conditions. China’s four-tier weather warning system places current conditions in a moderate-to-high risk category, with authorities warning of escalating flood threats as rainbands remain stationary over southern provinces. The Ministry of Water Resources has activated a Level-IV emergency response across seven provinces, while Guangxi has implemented flood defence measures, directly affecting airport operations and aviation flow management.

Wider Weather Instability Across the Country

Northern and northeastern regions are also experiencing thunderstorms, hail and strong winds, while temperature fluctuations across Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Beijing and Tianjin further intensify operational unpredictability. Meanwhile, hot conditions persist in Xinjiang, Henan and Shaanxi, creating a dual-weather stress scenario that disrupts national flight scheduling and airspace coordination.

Airports and Cities Most Affected by Flight Disruptions

The disruption data shows China as the most heavily impacted aviation market, particularly across major hubs:

Major Chinese Aviation Hubs Under Pressure

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport recorded the highest disruption levels with 741 delayed flights and 62 cancellations, making it the most affected airport in the region. Shenzhen Bao’an followed with 535 delays and 33 cancellations, while Beijing Capital and Beijing Daxing together experienced significant operational strain with nearly 750 combined delays.

Shanghai’s aviation system is also heavily impacted, with Pudong and Hongqiao airports collectively reporting high delay volumes. Secondary hubs such as Chengdu Tianfu, Chengdu Shuangliu, Kunming Changshui, Chongqing Jiangbei and Nanjing Lukou are also facing widespread schedule instability. Hangzhou Xiaoshan stands out with an unusually high 285 delays, indicating strong regional weather interference in eastern China’s aviation corridor.

India, Indonesia and Russia Also Affected

Outside China, Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has reported over 200 delays, showing spillover effects of regional weather disruptions.

In Southeast Asia, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has recorded more than 200 delays, reflecting similar instability across equatorial weather systems affecting Indonesia.

Russia’s Sheremetyevo International Airport has also been impacted with over 200 delays, suggesting broader atmospheric disturbances extending into Eurasian flight corridors.

Airline-Level Impact Across Asia

East Asia Airlines Face the Highest Operational Stress

Chinese carriers dominate the disruption list:

• China Eastern Airlines leads with 93 cancelled flights and 437 delays
• China Southern Airlines records 17 cancellations and 648 delayed flights, among the highest delay figures
• Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, Hainan Airlines and China Express Airlines also report substantial disruption levels

Smaller carriers such as Juneyao Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Lucky Air, Tibet Airlines and Tianjin Airlines are also affected, highlighting system-wide network strain rather than isolated incidents.

South Asia Airlines Under Pressure

In South Asia, IndiGo faces the highest regional impact with 395 delays, followed by SpiceJet, Air India Express and Akasa Air. Pakistan International Airlines is also affected, though at a lower scale.

Southeast Asia and West Asia

In Southeast Asia, Batik Air and AirAsia report combined delays exceeding 100 flights, while Garuda Indonesia and PAL Express also face operational disruption.

In West Asia, Saudia and Oman Air are experiencing moderate disruption levels, reflecting downstream impacts of Asia-wide air traffic instability.

What Affected Passengers Can Do Now

Passengers impacted by these disruptions across Asia are advised to take proactive steps due to ongoing weather instability:

• Check airline and airport updates frequently before travelling
• Expect extended delays, particularly at major Chinese hubs such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai
• Reconfirm bookings and monitor rebooking options offered by airlines
• Allow additional travel time due to congestion and flow restrictions
• Stay prepared for sudden schedule changes due to evolving weather alerts

Airlines across the region are operating under continuous weather advisories, meaning further disruptions remain possible until conditions stabilise.

Conclusion: Asia’s Aviation Network Under Weather Pressure

The current disruption event highlights a continent-wide aviation strain centred in East Asia, driven primarily by severe weather systems across China and extending into South and Southeast Asia. With 5,399 delays and 477 cancellations, the aviation network is experiencing significant operational stress, particularly at major hubs like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai. As weather systems continue to evolve, airlines and airports across Asia remain under pressure to maintain safety while managing large-scale passenger disruption.

Source: FlightAware and Affected Airports