Thousands Of Passengers Stranded In Asia As Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, China, Japan, And Saudi Arabia Cancel 240 And Delay 2,198 Flights, Including Thai, Korean Air, JAL, China Eastern, Singapore, Saudia Across Bangkok, Changi, Incheon, Shanghai, Riyadh And More

Published on December 20, 2025

Thousands Of travelers were grounded Today across Asia as widespread flight issues resulted in 2,198 flight delays and 240 cancellations, including Bangkok Suvarnabhumi with 377 delays, Singapore Changi (SIN) with 292 delays, Incheon (ICN) with 288 delays, Shanghai Pudong (PVG) with 254 delays, and Riyadh King Khalid (RUH) with 225 delays and 107 cancellations. Impacted Airlines included Thai Airways (93 delays and 1 cancellation at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi), Saudia (105 cancellations and 76 delays at Riyadh), Singapore Airlines (66 delays at Singapore Changi), Scoot (66 delays), Korean Air (68 delays at Incheon), Asiana Airlines (53 delays), China Eastern Airlines (64 delays at Shanghai Pudong), Flynas (61 delays at Riyadh), Japan Airlines (49 delays at Tokyo Haneda and 24 delays at New Chitose), and All Nippon Airways and ANA Wings (59 combined delays across Japan’s network). The disruption pattern today was overwhelmingly delay-driven across Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, while Saudi Arabia recorded the highest concentration of cancellations, largely centered on Riyadh. Bangkok, Singapore, Incheon, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Riyadh were among the most affected cities, reflecting widespread disruption across Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

• Updated today: Asia’s major hubs recorded 2,198 flight delays and 240 flight cancellations, totaling 2,438 disruptions.
• Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) led all airports with 377 delays and 1 cancellation.
• Singapore Changi (SIN) followed with 292 delays and 2 cancellations, driven by Singapore Airlines and Scoot.
• Incheon (ICN) logged 288 delays and 3 cancellations, with Korean Air and Asiana accounting for most delays.
• Shanghai Pudong (PVG) posted 254 delays and 15 cancellations, led by China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines.
• Riyadh King Khalid (RUH) remained the top cancellation hub with 107 cancellations alongside 225 delays, dominated by Saudia.
• Japan’s network saw delay concentration at Haneda (HND) and New Chitose (CTS), led by ANA and JAL.

Most Affected Asian Airports by Cancellations and Delays

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK)

BKK recorded 377 delays and 1 cancellation, the highest delay volume in today’s dataset. Thai Airways alone accounted for 93 delays, while Thai VietJet Air added 46 delays, reflecting a delay-dominant operational slowdown rather than flight removals.

Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)

SIN logged 292 delays and 2 cancellations. Singapore Airlines and Scoot each contributed 66 delays, while AirAsia and Thai Airways posted high delay ratios on smaller schedules.

Incheon International Airport (ICN)

ICN reported 288 delays and 3 cancellations, with Korean Air (68 delays) and Asiana (53 delays) driving congestion. Transpacific links accounted for 20 US-connected delays, but cancellations remained minimal.

Shanghai Pudong International (PVG)

PVG recorded 254 delays and 15 cancellations. China Eastern led with 64 delays, followed by Shanghai Airlines and Juneyao Airlines, keeping the disruption largely delay-focused with limited international spillover.

Riyadh King Khalid International (RUH)

RUH stood out for cancellations, posting 107 cancellations alongside 225 delays. Saudia accounted for the bulk of cancellations, while Flynas contributed a high volume of delays.

Tokyo International Airport (Haneda – HND)

HND logged 157 delays and 7 cancellations, with ANA (51 delays) and JAL (49 delays) dominating a delay-heavy domestic profile and light transpacific exposure.

Airlines Most Affected by Flight Cancellations and Delays

Thai Airways

Led delays at BKK with 93 delays and the airport’s only cancellation, making it the single largest airline contributor by volume today.

Singapore Airlines

Recorded 66 delays at SIN, anchoring one of Asia’s most delay-intensive hubs with minimal cancellations.

Korean Air

Logged 68 delays at ICN, the highest airline delay count at the airport, reflecting network-wide congestion.

China Eastern Airlines

Posted 64 delays at PVG, leading Shanghai’s delay profile alongside Shanghai Airlines.

Saudia

Accounted for 105 cancellations and 76 delays at RUH, making it the most cancellation-impacted airline across all airports today.

Japan Airlines (JAL)

Recorded 24 delays at CTS and 49 delays at HND, highlighting sustained domestic delays across Japan.

How travellers were impacted at major airports

• Expect extended departure waits due to delay-heavy schedules rather than outright cancellations.
• Allow extra buffer time for connections at BKK, SIN, ICN, PVG, RUH, and HND.
• Monitor airline notifications closely, as delays were often incremental and updated throughout the day.
• Be prepared for gate changes and rolling departure times, especially at hub-dominated airports.
• Keep alternative connection options in mind where multiple daily frequencies exist.

Learn More

Overview of Asia Flight Cancellations

Across Asia today, disruptions were defined far more by delays than cancellations, with Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Singapore Changi (SIN), Incheon (ICN), Shanghai Pudong (PVG), and Riyadh King Khalid (RUH) repeatedly emerging as the most affected airports. Airline impacts clustered around hub carriers including Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Asiana, China Eastern, Saudia, Flynas, Japan Airlines, and All Nippon Airways. While RUH led cancellations, most other hubs—particularly BKK, SIN, ICN, and PVG—experienced system-wide slowdowns with limited flight removals. The pattern underscores a region-wide operational strain concentrated at major Asian gateways, with impacts felt repeatedly at Bangkok, Singapore, Incheon, Shanghai, and Riyadh throughout the day.

Image Source: AI

Source: Different airports and FlightAware