Thousands of Passengers Suffers throughout Japan as Air Do and Japan Air Commuter Grounds Forty Flights with Numerous Delays in Tokyo, Sapporo, Osaka, Fukuoka and more, New Update

Published on December 4, 2025

A major operational failure crippled air travel across Japan starting on 3rd and continuing on 4th December, 2025. Two distinct airlines, Air Do and Japan Air Commuter, caused this massive disruption simultaneously. They grounded forty flights in total. Furthermore, the carriers recorded fifty-three extensive delays across their networks. This dual crisis immediately affected major metropolitan hubs. Travelers faced significant difficulties in Tokyo, Sapporo, Osaka and Fukuoka among others. Consequently, the massive flight cancellations triggered widespread schedule chaos. The regional routes connecting smaller islands saw severe cuts. Meanwhile, the high-volume trunk routes also experienced considerable strain. This report provides a detailed breakdown of the incidents. We examine the specific routes and the full list of affected airports. We also explore what the stranded passengers can do now. This analysis gives you the essential facts regarding the recent aviation crisis in Japan.

A Breakdown of the Affected Flights

Air Do

Japan Air Commuter

A substantial number of flight movements were compromised, with a reported total of 40 cancellations recorded between the two airlines. It was logged that Japan Air Commuter was responsible for 20 grounded services, while an identical number of 20 flights were cancelled by Air Do. Beyond the cancellations, further widespread instability was introduced into the schedule by extensive delays. A combined total of 53 delays were noted, underscoring a broader systemic strain across both carriers’ operations in Japan. Specific data shows that Japan Air Commuter experienced 23 delays, representing a 20% delay rate based on the provided data. A slightly higher rate of delay was recorded by Air Do, with 30 flights being delayed, constituting 23% of its provided flight statistics. These figures confirm a severe instability in the scheduled services that was experienced by passengers across various Japanese cities.

Affected Routes

The 40 grounded flights were distributed across two distinct network types: the regional island connectivity provided by Japan Air Commuter and the high-density trunk route operated by Air Do.

All 20 affected services for Air Do were concentrated exclusively on the major corridor between Tokyo International Airport (Haneda/HND) and New Chitose Airport (Sapporo metropolitan area/CTS). This route, one of the busiest in the world, was significantly impacted as a result of the operational issues.

The network of Japan Air Commuter saw cancellations that spanned several regional island connections in Japan. Services connecting Kagoshima (KOJ) to Yakushima (KUM), Kikai (KKX) and New Tanegashima (TNE) were grounded. Additionally, flights between Osaka International Airport (Itami/ITM) and Tajima (TJH) were affected, as were services connecting Yakushima (KUM) to Fukuoka (FUK) and flights originating from Kagoshima to Amami (ASJ). This wide distribution indicates that regional travel across the Kyushu and Kansai areas of Japan was heavily disrupted by the cancellations attributed to Japan Air Commuter.

Affected Airports

A total of ten Japanese airports, ranging from major international gateways to remote island airstrips, were affected by the cumulative operational issues of Air Do and Japan Air Commuter.

The main hubs impacted by Air Do’s issues were:

• Tokyo International Airport (Haneda/HND) in Tokyo
• New Chitose Airport (CTS), serving Sapporo

The widespread network issues of Japan Air Commuter affected the following eight airports:

• Osaka International Airport (Itami/ITM) in Osaka
• Fukuoka Airport (FUK) in Fukuoka
• Kagoshima Airport (KOJ) in Kirishima
• Amami Airport (ASJ) in Amami
• Yakushima Airport (KUM) in Yakushima
• Kikai Airport (KKX) in Kikai
• New Tanegashima Airport (TNE) in Nakatane
• Kounotori Tajima Airport (TJH) in Toyooka

Passengers across these diverse regions of Japan were made to wait as their travel plans were severely curtailed by the dual operational setbacks.

Probable Impact on Local Tourism

The grounding of 40 flights, alongside 53 delays, is regarded as a significant blow to local tourism across the affected cities and islands in Japan. The high concentration of cancelled flights for Japan Air Commuter on regional routes suggests that access to popular tourist destinations such as Yakushima and Tanegashima was critically compromised. The dependency of these smaller islands on air travel means that local economies and accommodation providers were likely directly impacted as visitor numbers were forcibly reduced. Similarly, the key route between Tokyo and Sapporo, which facilitates both international and domestic leisure travel to Hokkaido, experienced considerable passenger flow constraint due to the issues with Air Do. Tourism revenue in large metropolitan areas like Osaka and Fukuoka may also be affected as connecting traffic was halted.

What Affected Passengers Can Do Now

Passengers whose flights were cancelled or delayed by either Air Do or Japan Air Commuter are strongly advised to contact the respective airline immediately. Rebooking options or refund processes are expected to be initiated by the carriers. It is recommended that travel documents and flight confirmation numbers be kept readily available when communication is established with the airlines’ customer support departments. Furthermore, any information regarding rights for compensation or alternative travel arrangements must be directly sought from Air Do or Japan Air Commuter to address the disruption experienced in Japan.

-The information provided is sourced from FlightAware.