Thousands Of Passengers Grounded In Asia As Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Philippines And Japan Delay 1,680 Flights And Cancel 227, Disrupting China Southern, Air China, ANA, Cathay Pacific, And Other Airlines In Beijing, Tokyo, Bangkok, Manila And More

Published on December 29, 2025

Thousands Of Passengers Grounded In Asia Today as 1,680 flight delays and 227 cancellations were recorded, disrupting Suvarnabhumi Airport (341 delays, 2 cancellations), Urumqi Diwopu (258 delays, 151 cancellations), Singapore Changi (242 delays, 2 cancellations), Hong Kong Intl (216 delays), and Tokyo Haneda (200 delays, 8 cancellations). Significant disruption also hit Beijing Capital Intl (127 delays, 14 cancellations) and Ninoy Aquino intl(138 delays, 2 cancellations).
The most disrupted airlines included China Southern Airlines (122 delays, 38 cancellations), Air China (72 delays, 12 cancellations), Sichuan Airlines (52 delays, 3 cancellations), All Nippon Airways (91 delays, 2 cancellations), and Cathay Pacific (65+ delays).
Other popular carriers such as Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, Thai Airways, Cebu Pacific Air, and Malaysia Airlines also reported notable delays despite limited cancellations.
According to the latest data, Urumqi, Beijing, Chengdu, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Manila emerged as highly affected cities, highlighting widespread flight disruption across China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

• Updated today: Asian aviation recorded 1,680 delays and 227 cancellations, impacting millions of passenger across key hubs.
• Urumqi Diwopu accounted for 151 cancellations, with China Southern Airlines (38 cancellations) and Air China (12 cancellations) among the biggest contributors.
• Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (341 delays), Singapore Changi (242 delays), Hong Kong International (216 delays), and Tokyo Haneda (200 delays) absorbed disruption mainly through delays rather than cancellations.
• Major network airlines continued flying despite schedule instability, while regional carriers showed higher cancellation percentages.

Most Affected Asian Airports

Suvarnabhumi Airport

Bangkok recorded the highest delay count in Asia today, with 341 delayed flights and just two cancellations, reflecting heavy congestion but strong schedule retention.

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport

Urumqi stood out as the cancellation epicentre, accounting for more than half of all cancellations across the dataset, alongside 258 delays.

Singapore Changi Airport

Changi experienced 242 delays with minimal cancellations, underscoring its role as a resilient international transit hub despite high traffic.

Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong reported zero cancellations even as 216 flights were delayed, highlighting an extreme delay-only disruption pattern.

Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)

Haneda logged 200 delays and eight cancellations, with disruption spread across both domestic and international operations.

Airlines Most Affected by Asia Flight Cancellations and Delays

China Southern Airlines

The airline recorded the highest combined disruption volume, driven largely by extensive delays.

Air China

Air China dominated disruption at Beijing Capital while also contributing to delays across western China.

Sichuan Airlines

A major source of delays at Chengdu Tianfu, with relatively few cancellations.

All Nippon Airways

ANA accounted for the bulk of delays at Tokyo Haneda, reflecting scale-driven exposure.

Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific led delay volumes at Hong Kong without cancelling flights, maintaining full network presence.

How Travellers Were Impacted at Major Airports

• Longer connection times and missed onward flights at hub airports
• Increased ground delays and gate congestion
• Higher reliance on rebookings rather than refunds
• Delayed arrivals impacting hotel check-ins and ground transport
• Greater uncertainty for same-day return and short-haul trips

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Overview of Asia Flight Cancellations

Across Asia, today’s disruption pattern was defined by delay absorption at major hubs and concentrated cancellations at specific regional airports. Airlines such as China Southern Airlines, Air China, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways featured repeatedly across disruption reports. Airports in Bangkok, Urumqi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beijing, and Manila appeared multiple times as pressure points, illustrating how both mega-hubs and regional gateways were simultaneously affected.

Overall, the data shows a network that remained operational under strain, prioritising continuity through delays while selectively cancelling flights where recovery was less feasible.

Image Source: AI

Source: Different airports and FlightAware