Passengers across Asia are facing another wave of flight disruptions as airlines in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hong Kong cancel and consolidate services, leaving travelers scrambling to rebook long-planned journeys. More than 20 flights have been canceled in recent days by carriers including Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air, Cathay Pacific, VietJet, United Airlines, and several regional operators, impacting key routes through Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City, Sydney, and other major hubs. The latest disruptions, reported between February 10 and February 13, 2026, are part of a broader pattern of operational strain on Asian aviation that has already seen thousands of delays and dozens of cancellations across the region this month.
Fresh Cancellations Hit Key Asian Gateways
The most recent round of cancellations centers on major hubs in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, with at least 29 departures scrapped across several airports, according to regional flight data summarized by travel industry monitors. Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Taipei, and Hong Kong International Airport are among the most affected, with a mix of domestic and international services removed from schedules. These cancellations, recorded around February 10, have triggered knock-on effects for travelers connecting onward to destinations such as Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, and Bali.
Malaysia Airlines has adjusted a combination of long haul and regional services out of Kuala Lumpur, affecting flights to Sydney and several Southeast Asian cities. In Indonesia, Batik Air has trimmed services from Jakarta and other domestic hubs, disrupting itineraries to Makassar, Palembang, Yogyakarta, Pekanbaru, Medan, Manado, Surabaya, Bali, and international points in the region. While many cancellations involve short-haul flights, the removal of transcontinental sectors has had an outsized impact on travelers who must now contend with limited alternatives on already busy routes.
In Hong Kong and Taiwan, Cathay Pacific and other carriers have joined the disruption, canceling select flights connecting Hong Kong and Taipei to Southeast Asia and Australia. Routes between Hong Kong and Bali, Jakarta, and Sydney have been particularly affected, compounding challenges for vacationers and business travelers who depend on these links. The clustering of cancellations at multiple hubs on the same day has strained rebooking options, as airlines work to consolidate passengers onto remaining flights while protecting longer-haul connections where possible.
Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur Bear the Brunt
Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport continue to be among the hardest-hit airports in Asia for delays and cancellations this month. On February 12 alone, Jakarta recorded more than 450 flight delays and several cancellations, while Kuala Lumpur reported nearly 500 delays along with additional scrapped departures. These disruptions, coming on top of the cancellations announced on February 10, highlight the growing operational pressure on carriers and airport systems in two of Southeast Asia’s busiest hubs.
Batik Air and Malaysia Airlines feature prominently in the latest operational reports, alongside several low-cost and regional airlines. Their networks, which stitch together secondary Indonesian and Malaysian cities with major Asian and Australian destinations, mean that a single cancellation can unravel complex itineraries for passengers traveling on multi-leg journeys. For example, travelers booked from Medan or Makassar to Sydney via Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur are finding that even if their long-haul sector remains intact, a canceled feeder flight can render the entire itinerary unworkable without extensive rebooking.
Travelers connecting through these hubs are also confronting extensive delays, not just outright cancellations. In the past 48 hours, thousands of passengers across Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and other Asian airports have experienced late departures and missed connections as airlines juggle aircraft rotations and crew availability. While most travelers are eventually able to reach their destinations, the cascading effect of schedule disruptions is leading to extended airport waits, unexpected overnight stays, and last-minute changes to hotel and ground transport plans.
Hong Kong, Taipei, and Ho Chi Minh City See Mounting Disruptions
Hong Kong International Airport has once again emerged as a flashpoint for regional disruption, with Cathay Pacific and several partner airlines canceling or retiming flights serving Southeast Asia and Australia. The latest data for February 12 show more than 300 delays at Hong Kong, along with targeted cancellations that have affected flights to Jakarta, Bali, and key cities in mainland China. Travelers bound for leisure destinations such as Bali and Phuket, as well as business centers like Singapore and Jakarta, have been among the most affected.
Taipei and other Taiwanese airports have also reported cancellations and schedule changes involving regional carriers and international airlines. Although the total number of canceled flights is lower than at the largest Southeast Asian hubs, the impact can be more acute for travelers relying on limited daily frequencies. Passengers traveling between Taipei and Ho Chi Minh City, for instance, have seen flights removed from timetables or shifted to less convenient times, complicating same-day connections and forcing some to adjust travel dates altogether.
In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport has reported its own share of disruptions linked to VietJet and other carriers. While many flights have operated with delays rather than outright cancellations, the cumulative effect is significant, particularly for travelers connecting through the city to destinations in Malaysia and Indonesia. Some passengers have reported being rebooked via alternative hubs such as Bangkok or Singapore when direct connections to Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta were no longer viable.
Ripple Effects on Long Haul Routes Including Sydney
One of the most visible impacts of the current disruption wave is on flights linking Asia to Australia, particularly services to and from Sydney. Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air, and Cathay Pacific all operate or codeshare on routes that funnel Australian travelers through Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and other hubs. With multiple departures to and from Sydney canceled or reshuffled in recent days, Australian visitors returning from Asian holidays and business trips have faced last-minute itinerary changes and lengthy re-routing through alternative cities.
In some cases, long haul cancellations have followed earlier waves of Bali-related disruptions prompted by volcanic activity in Indonesia, which has periodically affected flights across the region since late 2024. Although the latest reports of cancellations from February 10 do not center on volcanic ash, they have nonetheless compounded the perception of fragility on certain Asia–Australia routes. Travelers who previously experienced detours or overnight delays due to environmental events are now contending with freshly reduced schedules driven by operational and capacity constraints.
United Airlines and other global carriers with limited daily frequencies into key Asian hubs are also exposed when local disruptions cascade into their long haul schedules. A canceled or heavily delayed feeder flight in Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur can lead to missed transpacific departures from Hong Kong or Tokyo, stranding passengers far from home. As more travelers rely on complex itineraries that combine Asian and Western carriers on a single ticket, the scope for knock-on disruption grows.
Why So Many Disruptions Now?
The latest cancellations are unfolding against a backdrop of heightened operational stress across Asian aviation. In the first half of February 2026, multiple monitoring reports have documented thousands of delays and dozens of cancellations per day across airports in Thailand, Singapore, Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and beyond. On February 13 alone, separate data showed more than 4,200 delays and over 60 cancellations across Asia and the Middle East, underscoring a broader trend rather than an isolated incident.
Several factors are thought to be driving this volatility. Airlines are still calibrating capacity after aggressively rebuilding networks over the past two years. Fleet shortages, late aircraft deliveries, and ongoing maintenance backlogs can leave little slack when unexpected issues arise. Crew rostering remains a sensitive pressure point, particularly on cross-border routes subject to complex regulatory and scheduling requirements. When a single link in this chain fails, airlines often respond by consolidating services, canceling lower-yield flights, and prioritizing routes with strong demand or strategic importance.
Seasonal weather patterns, airspace restrictions linked to regional events, and occasional infrastructure constraints at busy hubs also play a role. Recent closures linked to major airshows and training activities in parts of Southeast Asia have led carriers to adjust schedules and accept narrower operating windows. In such an environment, any operational hiccup can quickly translate into widespread disruption, especially on days when traffic volumes are already high and airport capacity is stretched.
What Travelers Are Experiencing on the Ground
For passengers, the statistics translate into very real and personal ordeals. Reports from Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and other affected airports in recent days describe long queues at airline counters, crowded departure halls, and a rush to secure scarce alternative seats. Many travelers learn of their cancellations only upon arrival at the airport or via last-minute notifications from airlines and travel agents, leaving little time to reconfigure plans.
Families returning from holidays in Bali or other Indonesian destinations are among those facing the greatest uncertainty. With Batik Air and other carriers canceling flights to and from secondary Indonesian cities as well as regional hubs, some passengers have had to book separate tickets on low-cost airlines or even consider overland segments to reach a city where onward flights are still available. Business travelers, meanwhile, have reported missed meetings in Singapore, Bangkok, and Sydney after tight connections evaporated due to earlier delays.
Despite the disruption, many airlines have activated contingency policies to lessen the sting. Rebooking on the next available flight at no additional charge, rerouting through alternative hubs, and offering full refunds on the unused portion of tickets are among the measures extended to affected passengers. However, the sheer volume of disrupted journeys means that same-day alternatives are often unavailable, particularly on popular leisure routes and weekend departures where advance bookings are already high.
Practical Advice for Those Yet to Travel
For travelers with upcoming trips through Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City, or Sydney in the coming days, careful preparation is more important than ever. Passengers are strongly advised to monitor their flight status frequently in the 24 to 48 hours before departure, using official airline apps and direct communication channels rather than relying solely on third-party booking sites. Notification settings should be checked and updated so that text messages and email alerts reach travelers promptly, wherever they are.
Where possible, building in longer connection times can provide a buffer against the kind of rolling delays currently seen across Asian hubs. Travelers with critical same-day meetings or events may wish to consider arriving a day earlier than strictly necessary or choosing earlier departures, particularly on routes that require same-day connections through multiple hubs. Those booking complex itineraries involving multiple airlines on separate tickets should be especially cautious, as protection and rebooking options are generally stronger on a single through ticket issued by one airline or alliance.
Travel insurance that explicitly covers missed connections, extended delays, and airline-caused cancellations can also provide a measure of financial protection, though coverage terms vary widely between policies. Keeping detailed records of delay notifications, receipts for accommodation and meals, and any written confirmations from airlines can help support future claims or reimbursement requests. For travelers who can be flexible, voluntarily shifting travel dates by a day or two, or accepting alternative routing via less congested hubs, may lead to a smoother journey than insisting on original plans during peak disruption periods.
Looking Ahead: Will Conditions Improve Soon?
While the current cluster of cancellations across Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam is causing immediate frustration, there are signs that airlines and airports are working aggressively to stabilize operations. Carriers have indicated that many of the cuts are tactical, aimed at reducing the risk of rolling delays by trimming schedules during periods of peak strain. As aircraft rotations are brought back in line and crew schedules are realigned, punctuality statistics may begin to improve, although volatility is likely to persist in the short term.
For now, travelers planning journeys through Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City, Sydney, and other affected cities should maintain a flexible mindset and be prepared for potential last-minute changes. Booking directly with airlines, ensuring up-to-date contact details, and considering alternative routes or travel dates can all help mitigate the worst impacts of ongoing disruptions. While airlines continue to refine their post-recovery operations, passengers who stay informed and build resilience into their plans will be best positioned to navigate the shifting landscape of Asian air travel in the weeks ahead.