Thousands Of Travelers Stranded In Asia As Emirates, JAL, AirAsia, Singapore, Cathay And Other Airlines Cancel 224 And Delay 2,550 Flights Across Japan, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, And Hong Kong Affecting Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Chitose

Published on December 15, 2025

Thousands Of Passengers were grounded across Asia Today as rampant flight issues resulted in 2,550 flight delays and 224 cancellations including Kuala Lumpur International (690 delays), Dubai International (359 delays), Singapore Changi (458 delays), Tokyo Haneda (433 delays, 84 cancellations), New Chitose (144 delays, 133 cancellations), Hong Kong International (247 delays, 1 cancellation), and Narita International (219 delays, 6 cancellations). Airline disruption was led by AirAsia Group (310+ delays), Japan Airlines (248+ delays, 38 cancellations), Singapore Airlines (147 delays), Scoot (106 delays), All Nippon Airways / ANA Wings (150+ delays, 32 cancellations), Air Do (80 cancellations, 40+ delays), Emirates (125 delays, 0 cancellations), and flydubai (112 delays, 0 cancellations). Tokyo, Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Chitose were among the most affected cities, reflecting disruption across Japan, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. Japan showed cancellation-heavy impacts while Southeast Asia and the Middle East absorbed disruption primarily through delays.

Summary

• Update today: 2,774 flights disrupted across Asia, including 2,550 delays and 224 cancellations.
• Japan recorded the bulk of cancellations, led by New Chitose (133) and Tokyo Haneda (84).
• Delay-only mega hubs included Kuala Lumpur (690), Singapore Changi (458), and Dubai (359).
• AirAsia Group, Singapore Airlines, Scoot, JAL, ANA/ANA Wings, Air Do, Emirates, and flydubai were the most affected airlines by volume.
• Knock-on delays spread globally, reaching Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, and North America via connected routes.

Most Affected Asian Airports by Cancellations and Delays

Kuala Lumpur International (KUL)

KUL recorded 690 delays and zero cancellations, making it the largest delay hotspot today. Disruption was driven mainly by AirAsia (263 delays), Malaysia Airlines (170), and Malindo Air (99), with spillover to Japan, the Middle East, and Oceania.

Singapore Changi (SIN)

SIN logged 458 delays and no cancellations, led by Singapore Airlines (135 delays) and Scoot (106). Regional carriers including AirAsia and Qantas contributed, with delays propagating to Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

Tokyo International Airport – Haneda (HND)

Haneda saw 433 delays and 84 cancellations, making it one of the most operationally strained airports. Japan Airlines (188 delays), ANA (122 delays), and Air Do (41 cancellations) accounted for much of the impact.

New Chitose (CTS)

CTS experienced 133 cancellations and 144 delays, the highest cancellation count among all airports today. Air Do (39 cancellations) and ANA Wings (29) were the primary drivers, with regional Japanese connectivity most affected.

Dubai International (DXB)

DXB recorded 359 delays and zero cancellations, led by Emirates (125 delays) and flydubai (112). Delay spillover extended to UK and European gateways, including London Heathrow and Manchester.

Hong Kong International (HKG)

HKG reported 247 delays and 1 cancellation, dominated by Cathay Pacific (90 delays), Hong Kong Express (24), and Hong Kong Airlines (20), with impacts across East Asia, Europe, and North America.

Narita International (NRT)

NRT logged 219 delays and 6 cancellations, with Jetstar Japan (5 cancellations) and Japan Airlines (22 delays) among the most affected, alongside notable US-linked delays.

Airlines Most Affected by Flight Cancellations and Delays

AirAsia Group

Across Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, AirAsia and affiliates drove hundreds of delays, including 263 at KUL and significant volumes at SIN.

Singapore Airlines

Recorded 135 delays at SIN and additional delays across KUL, HKG, and NRT, reflecting network-wide schedule pressure.

Scoot

Logged 106 delays at SIN, making it one of the most affected low-cost carriers today.

Japan Airlines (JAL)

Faced 188 delays at HND, 38 delays and 22 cancellations at CTS, and 22 delays at NRT, placing it among the top Japan-based disruption drivers.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) / ANA Wings

Combined operations saw high delays at HND and substantial cancellations at CTS, plus impacts at NRT.

Air Do

Was the largest cancellation driver in Japan, with 41 cancellations at HND and 39 at CTS.

Emirates

Recorded 125 delays at DXB, leading Middle East carrier impacts.

flydubai

Followed closely with 112 delays at DXB, contributing to regional and long-haul knock-on effects.

How Travellers Were Impacted at Major Airports

• Expect extended wait times and rolling delays, especially at large hubs.
• Domestic connections in Japan faced higher cancellation risk than international routes.
• Rebooking queues and gate changes were common at delay-heavy hubs.
• Travellers with tight connections were more exposed to missed onward flights.
• Long-haul itineraries experienced knock-on delays even where cancellations were minimal.
• Passengers were urged to check baggage policies as delays increased the chances of luggage separation on affected flights.

Learn More

Overview of Asia Flight Cancellations

Today’s Asia-wide disruption pattern showed a clear regional split. Japanese airports, Tokyo Haneda, New Chitose, and Narita, accounted for the majority of cancellations, driven by Air Do, Japan Airlines, and ANA/ANA Wings. In contrast, Kuala Lumpur International and Singapore Changi absorbed disruption almost entirely through delays, led by AirAsia Group, Singapore Airlines, and Scoot, while Dubai International mirrored this delay-only pattern with Emirates and flydubai. Hong Kong International and Narita International sat between these extremes, recording high delay volumes with minimal cancellations. Across Tokyo Haneda, New Chitose, Singapore Changi, Kuala Lumpur International, Hong Kong International, Narita International, and Dubai International, today’s data underscores a region-wide operational strain with varied responses by airport and airline.

Image Source: AI

Source: Different airports and FlightAware