Thousands of Passengers Affected Across Asia as China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia Cancel 204 Flights and Delay 4,094, Disrupting Air China, IndiGo, Malaysia, JetBlue, and Other Airlines in Beijing, Delhi, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and More

Published on December 31, 2025

Across Asia’s busiest skies, travellers and airlines are grappling with widespread flight disruptions as a new tally reports 204 cancellations and 4,094 delays among leading carriers spanning China, India, Japan, Southeast Asia, and beyond. The cumulative impact reflects a combination of weather, operational challenges and regulatory pressures that has left millions of passengers stranded, frustrated, and scrambling to adjust itineraries. This latest data underscores the breadth of disruption affecting Asia’s aviation network from east to south to southeast regions, prompting government advisories and intense scrutiny by civil aviation regulators.

Severe Weather and Operational Constraints Amplify Delays

Over the past week, dense fog and reduced visibility across key hubs — including New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and Ahmedabad — have forced airlines to cancel and delay flights amid safety concerns. Reports indicate over 118 cancellations and hundreds of delays at Delhi alone due to weather-induced visibility limits that prevented aircraft departures and arrivals. Such conditions have overwhelmed airport operations and challenged air traffic controllers’ capacity to maintain schedules, with passengers reporting long waits and last-minute flight changes that reverberated through connecting services.

Broad Regional Disruptions Highlight Systemic Vulnerabilities

Beyond weather, data aggregated from Asian aviation sources shows that disruptions extend across countries, with cancellation and delay reports touching Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, China, and India, among others. In Indonesia and Southeast Asia, recent reports list at least 60 flights cancelled in a brief period, as carriers contend with both regional weather fluctuations and infrastructure limits at peak travel times. These interruptions have spread to long-haul connections as well, affecting both holiday and business travelers across continents.

Cancelled China Eastern “China Eastern” (CES) Flights

Airline-Specific Challenges Compound Continental Impact

Major carriers such as IndiGo, China Eastern, Air China, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, and Batik Air figure prominently in the tally of cancelled and delayed flights. For India’s largest operator, IndiGo, cumulative disruptions earlier in the month stemmed from complex scheduling problems after crew rest regulations changed, resulting in thousands of flight cancellations across its network — a situation documented by independent aviation analyses and regulatory responses.

Cancelled Air China “Air China” (CCA) Flights

Government and Aviation Authority Responses Intensify

In response to ongoing disruptions, several governments and civil aviation authorities across Asia have issued travel advisories and stepped up oversight. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing operational lapses while advising passengers to monitor flight status closely and exercise flexibility. Meanwhile, in Singapore and other Southeast Asian hubs, official airport information systems have updated travellers on real-time status changes amid high traffic volumes and weather-induced delays.

Regulators have also emphasised passenger rights, including compensation and rebooking norms where flights are cancelled for operational reasons, aligning with broader aviation safety guidelines and international passenger protection frameworks.

Passenger Experiences Reflect Escalating Frustration

Across the region, travellers report heightened stress as rapidly shifting schedules lead to missed connections, extended layovers, and last-minute hotel bookings. Airports in Tokyo, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, and Singapore saw a spike in passenger inactivity periods as airlines scrambled to re-seat travelers and issue refund notices. Some international quarters reported delays in excess of three hours, while cancellations triggered a cascade of knock-on impacts in local transport and tourism sectors.

Economic and Tourism Implications for Asia

The disruption carries economic consequences beyond the immediate inconvenience to passengers. Regional tourism boards and hospitality sectors are bracing for potential short-term declines in arrivals as travellers reassess plans amid unpredictable flight reliability. Asian aviation markets, already navigating post-pandemic recovery and competition from global carriers, now contend with reputational risks that could influence travel demand into early 2026.

Safety and Delay Analytics Signal a Complex Aviation Landscape

Independent aviation performance reports highlight that fluctuations in on-time performance and cancellation rates have pressurised airline operations. Data indicates that across the Asia-Pacific, cancellation surges have dented punctuality scores for multiple carriers, complicating airlines’ ability to maintain reliable service levels amid competing pressures of weather, crew logistics, and passenger volumes. Cirium

What Travellers Must Know Now

Passengers planning flights across Asia are urged to:

• Check official airline and airport websites for real-time flight status updates.
• Review government travel advisories for regional weather or operational alerts.
• Understand airline policies on rebooking, refunds, and compensation where applicable.

These steps are vital in a climate where information timing and transparent communication can significantly reduce uncertainty and stress during travel disruptions.

Looking Ahead: Asia’s Aviation Sector at Crossroads

As Asia’s aviation landscape confronts these elevated disruption levels, stakeholders from government bodies to industry analysts stress the need for reinforced operational planning, enhanced weather-responsive strategies, and infrastructure upgrades to handle peak demand. Whether the current spate of cancellations and delays is a short-term weather-driven hurdle or indicative of deeper systemic bottlenecks, the impact on passenger trust and airline reputations is already evident as the region approaches the 2026 travel season.

In the end, behind every stat and flight number, there are travellers whose plans, memories and livelihoods hinge on reliable skies — and for now, Asia’s air travel landscape remains in flux.