Thousands of Travelers Abandoned in Japan as Airports in Tokyo, Osaka, Miyazaki, Sapporo and more Suffers 79 Flight Cancellations and 1336 Delays by Air Do, Japan Airlines, All Nippon and others, New Update

Published on November 26, 2025

A wave of travel chaos just washed over Japan. Major airports across the country faced significant flight disruptions. These issues affected key cities including Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Kagoshima, Miyazaki and Fukuoka. Specifically, 79 flights were cancelled and a massive 1,336 flights experienced delays. Consequently, thousands of travelers found their journeys immediately impacted. The disruptions weren’t isolated to a single carrier. In fact, major airlines bore the brunt of the chaos. Carriers like Japan Airlines, All Nippon and Air Do, among others, collectively registered a substantial number of these cancellations and delays. This operational setback signals a major challenge for the nation’s entire air travel infrastructure. Consequently, the aviation sector must now work quickly to stabilize schedules and manage the passenger fallout across Japan.

Major Airports Affected

The operational stability of the busiest airports in Japan was severely compromised, with Haneda Airport in Tokyo recording the highest volume of disruptions. At Haneda, 19 cancellations were registered alongside a staggering 510 delays, establishing it as the most congested point in the network. This significant figure at a primary international and domestic hub directly impacts connectivity across all of Japan.

In the northern region, New Chitose Airport, the gateway to Sapporo, was reported to have 18 cancellations and 88 delays. Similarly, the Kansai region saw notable issues. Itami Airport in Osaka experienced 16 cancellations and 175 delays, while Kansai International Airport, serving the Greater Osaka Area, had 6 cancellations and 164 delays.

Further south, key regional airports were also heavily affected. Fukuoka Airport recorded 5 cancellations and 256 delays. In the southern regions of Japan, Kagoshima Airport was cited with 8 cancellations and 83 delays and Miyazaki Airport reported 7 cancellations and 60 delays. These figures illustrate an aviation environment under considerable strain, with travelers facing uncertainty from the major metropolitan centers to the smaller cities across Japan.

Impacted Airlines

A broad spectrum of domestic and international air carriers has been named as being affected by these widespread flight irregularities. The scale of the disruption is highlighted by the involvement of the largest domestic operators, with various airlines registering both significant cancellations and delays across multiple affected airports.

Japan Airlines was reported to have 2 cancellations and 208 delays at Haneda, 2 cancellations and 24 delays at New Chitose, 9 cancellations and 87 delays at Itami, 4 cancellations and 20 delays at Kagoshima, 3 cancellations and 19 delays at Miyazaki and 1 cancellation and 53 delays at Fukuoka. The total number of affected flights across multiple cities like Osaka, Fukuoka and Kagoshima places the carrier at the center of the operational challenge.

All Nippon, alongside its subsidiary ANA Wings, was also severely impacted. All Nippon (All Nippon Airways) registered 1 cancellation and 150 delays at Haneda and 1 cancellation and 19 delays at Itami. Meanwhile, ANA Wings was cited with 2 cancellations and 38 delays at Haneda, 2 cancellations and 3 delays at New Chitose, 6 cancellations and 52 delays at Itami and 2 cancellations and 7 delays at Miyazaki.

Regional and international carriers were not immune. Air Do was listed with a total of 24 cancellations across Haneda and New Chitose. Skymark was affected at New Chitose and Fukuoka. Smaller regional carriers, including Japan Air Commuter at Kagoshima and Oriental Air Bridge at Miyazaki and Fukuoka, also saw their services curtailed. The list of affected parties was completed by United Airlines at Haneda and Spring Airlines at Kansai Int’l, demonstrating the far-reaching nature of the aviation issues in Japan.

Beyond these specific figures, delays were being experienced by several other Airlines, like Solaseed, Ibex, Peach Aviation, Japan Transocean Air and more.

Probable Impact on Local Tourism

The substantial volume of flight cancellations and delays might have an immediate, adverse effect on local tourism in the affected cities. Major gateways like Tokyo (Haneda), Osaka (Itami and Kansai Int’l), Sapporo (New Chitose) and Fukuoka are key entry points for both domestic and international visitors. Disruptions to flight schedules can lead to delayed hotel check-ins, missed tour connections and the need for immediate rebooking of local transport, leading to a decrease in overall traveller satisfaction.

In regional areas such as Kagoshima and Miyazaki, which rely heavily on consistent air access for their visitor economy, any reduction in flight reliability can disproportionately impact smaller businesses, hotels and local attractions. Cancellations force visitors to postpone or entirely abandon their planned itineraries, directly withdrawing revenue from local services. Furthermore, the perception of unreliable travel to or within Japan may lead to future re-evaluation of travel plans by tourists, presenting a challenge to the sustained growth of the local tourism industry across these diverse locations.

What Affected Passengers Can Do Now

Passengers whose travel plans have been compromised are advised to immediately contact the operating airline for assistance. In cases of significant flight irregularities, passengers are typically entitled to several forms of assistance, though this can vary depending on the airline’s policy and the reason for the disruption.

It should be verified whether the cancelled flight is eligible for a full refund or a rebooking onto a later flight, often without penalty. Many major airlines, including Japan Airlines and All Nippon, offer flexibility for re-routing onto their next available services. If a major delay or cancellation is confirmed, passengers should seek documentation from the airline regarding the disruption, as this may be required for travel insurance claims or other compensation processes. Travellers whose journey has been significantly impacted may also have to make their own arrangements for alternative transportation or accommodation, particularly where the delay extends overnight and must retain all receipts for any potential expense reimbursement, a process which is typically governed by the specific operating carrier’s conditions of carriage.

-The information provided is sourced from FlightAware.