Thousands Of Travelers Stranded In Asia As Emirates, Cebu Pacific, Singapore, Air China, JAL And Other Airlines Delay 1,595 And Cancel 86 Flights Across UAE, Japan, Philippines, China, Singapore And More Including Manila, Dubai, Tokyo, Beijing, And Changi

Published on December 24, 2025

Thousands Of Travelers Stranded In Asia As Emirates, Cebu Pacific, Singapore, Air China, Cathay And Others Cancel And Delay 2,338 Flights, including Manila International Airport (289 delays, 0 cancellations), Singapore Changi Airport (222 delays, 1 cancellation), Dubai International Airport (228 delays, 2 cancellations), Beijing Capital International Airport (196 delays, 11 cancellations), and Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) (168 delays, 6 cancellations). Airline-level data showed heavy disruption for Cebu Pacific Air (98 delays), Air China (131 delays, 13 cancellations across airports), Japan Airlines (83 delays), Emirates (77 delays), and Singapore Airlines (58 delays). Disruptions were predominantly delay-driven, with cancellations concentrated mainly in parts of China and Japan, while Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern hubs largely preserved schedules through operational recovery.

• Updated today: A combined 1,681 flight disruptions (delays and cancellations) were reported across nine key airports.
• Manila recorded the highest number of delays with 289, without any cancellations.
• Singapore Changi and Dubai International followed closely with 222 and 228 delays, respectively.
• Urumqi and Beijing Capital saw the highest cancellation activity, led by Chinese carriers.
• Cebu Pacific Air and Air China emerged as the most affected airlines by volume.
• Japan’s airports experienced widespread delays but relatively limited cancellations.
• Long-haul spillover was visible at Tokyo Haneda, Singapore, Dubai, and Manila, including select US-linked routes.

Most Affected Asian Airports by Cancellations and Delays

Manila International Airport (MNL)

Manila topped the list with 289 delays and zero cancellations, making it the most delay-affected airport today. Disruption was heavily concentrated among domestic and regional carriers, indicating congestion and recovery delays rather than flight removals.

Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)

Singapore Changi logged 222 delays and 1 cancellation, reflecting widespread schedule slippage across full-service and low-cost carriers, while maintaining near-complete operational continuity.

Dubai International Airport (DXB)

Dubai International recorded 228 delays and 2 cancellations, with most disruption tied to hub-carrier operations and minimal knock-on cancellations across the wider network.

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)

Beijing Capital saw 196 delays and 11 cancellations, making it one of the most disrupted airports in China today, with significant impact on both domestic and international schedules.

Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) (HND)

Tokyo Haneda reported 168 delays and 6 cancellations, with notable international and long-haul exposure, including multiple delay linkages with overseas airports.

Airlines Most Affected by Flight Cancellations and Delays

Cebu Pacific Air

Cebu Pacific recorded 98 delays, the highest delay count by any single airline today, driving much of Manila’s disruption.

Air China

Air China experienced 131 delays and 13 cancellations across multiple airports, making it the most disrupted airline overall when combining both metrics.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines logged 83 delays across Tokyo Haneda and New Chitose, highlighting persistent domestic and regional operational pressure.

Emirates

Emirates recorded 77 delays at Dubai International, accounting for the majority of disruption at the Middle East’s busiest hub.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines saw 58 delays, contributing significantly to Changi’s elevated delay totals without resorting to cancellations.

How Travellers Were Impacted at Major Airports

• Allowing extra buffer time for connections and immigration processing
• Monitoring airline notifications for gate changes and revised departure times
• Preparing for extended ground delays rather than outright cancellations
• Avoiding tight same-day connections where possible
• Staying near the airport during prolonged delay periods
• Keeping alternative routing options in mind for multi-sector journeys

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Overview of Asia Flight Cancellations

Today’s Asia-wide flight disruptions were dominated by delays rather than cancellations, with Manila, Singapore Changi, Dubai International, Beijing Capital, and Tokyo Haneda repeatedly emerging as the most affected airports. Airlines such as Cebu Pacific Air, Air China, Japan Airlines, Emirates, and Singapore Airlines appeared multiple times as key contributors to delay volumes.

Cancellations remained comparatively localized, occurring most frequently in China and parts of Japan, while Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern hubs absorbed disruption through schedule adjustments. Overall, the data points to a day of heavy operational strain but sustained network continuity across Asia’s busiest aviation corridors.

Image Source: AI

Source: Different airports and FlightAware