Japan’s domestic air travel network is grappling with a fresh wave of disruption as more than 60 flights were cancelled on February 9 and 10, 2026, leaving thousands of passengers stranded or facing lengthy delays across the country. Major carriers including All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines (JAL), and low cost operators such as Jetstar Japan and Peach Aviation have all been forced to trim schedules, impacting key routes into and out of Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Hokkaido, and several regional and island destinations. The latest disruption comes on top of a broader pattern of operational stress in the Japanese and wider Asian aviation markets, amplifying concerns for domestic travelers, inbound tourists, and the country’s tourism recovery.
Scope of the Flight Cancellations Across Japan
Current figures indicate that more than 60 domestic flights have been cancelled over a 24 to 36 hour period, with some travel data providers and aviation trackers counting as many as 69 cancellations nationwide. The effects have been particularly pronounced on routes linking Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports with Osaka Itami, Fukuoka, Sapporo’s New Chitose, and a cluster of secondary and island airports. These include Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Amami, Tokunoshima, Yakushima, and other points in Kyushu and southern Japan, where small variations in aircraft availability and weather can quickly cascade into large scale disruption.
While each carrier has cited a slightly different mix of causes, the operational picture is clear. ANA, JAL, Jetstar Japan, Air Do, and Peach Aviation have all adjusted schedules, cancelling some departures outright and reshuffling others in an effort to preserve core trunk routes at peak hours. Many of the cancellations have involved domestic legs feeding into Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka, which function as essential hubs both for local traffic and for passengers connecting to international flights. The result is a patchwork of gaps in the timetable that has proved deeply frustrating for travelers who had planned long weekends, business trips, and onward connections.
The cancellations are part of a wider wave of aviation disruption affecting Japan this week. Separate regional data show that the country has also recorded hundreds of delayed services over the same period, with flight status boards at Haneda, New Chitose, Fukuoka, and other major hubs dominated by late departures and arrivals. For many passengers, outright cancellations are only one facet of a much broader and more unpredictable travel experience.
Major Hubs Under Pressure: Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Hokkaido
Tokyo remains the focal point of the current turbulence. Haneda, Japan’s primary domestic gateway, has seen a dense concentration of delayed flights and a smaller but still impactful number of cancellations that reverberate throughout the national network. Disruptions at Haneda affect not only point to point passengers but also those connecting from regional airports to long haul services operating to North America, Europe, and other parts of Asia. Narita, while more internationally focused, has also experienced knock on effects as airlines juggle aircraft rotations and crew assignments.
In western Japan, Osaka Itami and Kansai International have been grappling with their own set of challenges. Itami, which handles a large proportion of domestic business travel between Tokyo and the Kansai region, has recorded double digit cancellations coupled with dozens of delays. This has disrupted high frequency shuttle style services that many Japanese travelers rely on as a routine part of weekly commuting between corporate offices in Tokyo and Osaka. Kansai International, serving both domestic and international routes, has had to accommodate altered arrival and departure patterns, complicating the task of airport operations teams already juggling busy winter schedules.
To the south, Fukuoka has emerged as another pressure point, with local data highlighting clusters of cancellations and delays on short haul domestic sectors. Fukuoka’s strategic role as the primary gateway to Kyushu means such disruptions ripple outward to smaller airports in Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Amami, and Tokunoshima. In the north, Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport has also been heavily affected, with cancellations and delays straining access to Hokkaido during a peak period for winter tourism, ski holidays, and snow festivals that typically draw significant domestic and international demand.
Passengers Stranded and Itineraries in Disarray
For passengers, the numerical scale of cancellations translates into very tangible difficulties on the ground. Travelers across multiple airports in Japan have reported long queues at airline service counters as they seek rebooking options, refunds, or overnight accommodation. At smaller airports, where alternative services are less frequent, some travelers have had to accept multi leg re routings via secondary hubs or delay their trips by a full day or more. Families returning from regional holidays, foreign tourists on tight itineraries, and business travelers working to fixed meeting schedules have all been caught in the disruption.
Particularly affected are those traveling between Japan’s major cities and its outlying islands. On routes serving Yakushima, Amami, and other remote destinations, aircraft utilization is finely balanced and replacement options are limited. When one rotation fails, subsequent services can also be thrown off schedule, creating strings of disruptions that are difficult to untangle quickly. For some passengers in these areas, ferry services or overnight trains may be the only viable fallback, lengthening journey times considerably.
The surge in delays has also compounded the sense of uncertainty. Even when flights remain on the departure board, rolling estimated departure times and late gate announcements have forced passengers to remain in terminal areas for extended periods, often with limited information about the precise cause of disruption or the likelihood of further changes. For inbound tourists, language barriers can further complicate efforts to rebook, navigate customer service channels, or understand compensation and accommodation policies.
Airlines Respond with Rebookings, Fee Waivers and Schedule Adjustments
Facing passenger frustration and intense scrutiny, Japan’s major carriers have moved to implement a series of mitigation measures. ANA and JAL have activated flexible rebooking policies on affected routes, allowing customers to change to alternative flights within a defined window without additional fees, subject to seat availability. Low cost operators such as Jetstar Japan and Peach Aviation are also offering modified conditions on ticket changes and refunds for cancelled services, though specific terms can vary depending on the fare class initially purchased.
Carriers have been using their websites, mobile apps, and social media channels to provide rolling updates on cancellations and schedule changes. JAL, for example, maintains a dedicated domestic disruption information page where passengers can check real time status for flights from the day prior and the current day. ANA and other airlines operate similar portals that allow travelers to search by flight number or airport pair. For those who booked through travel agencies or online travel platforms, advisers are working to secure revised itineraries, though peak call volumes have resulted in longer than usual wait times.
Operationally, airlines are prioritizing high demand trunk routes and flights that support international connections. Aircraft and crew have been reassigned to stabilize core services between Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo, even if this means cutting lower volume rotations or late evening flights to smaller regional airports. This triage approach helps keep a backbone of the domestic network functioning but inevitably leaves some passengers, particularly in rural or island communities, with fewer immediate options.
Underlying Causes: Capacity Constraints, Weather and Regional Turbulence
The precise cause of each individual cancellation can differ, but several common threads run through the latest wave of disruption. Seasonal weather variability in Japan often contributes to delays and cancellations during the winter months, especially in northern regions like Hokkaido and along the Sea of Japan coast, where snow, strong winds, and poor visibility can mandate safety based suspensions of service. Even in milder conditions, crosswinds or low cloud ceilings can slow operations at busy hubs such as Haneda and New Chitose, constraining the number of aircraft movements per hour.
Beyond weather, the Japanese aviation sector continues to operate under capacity constraints related to aircraft availability and maintenance scheduling. Global supply chain issues and the prolonged knock on effects of earlier groundings of certain aircraft types have left carriers with less flexibility to absorb unexpected disruptions. When a jet is taken out of service for unscheduled maintenance or delayed spare parts, it can leave a gap that is difficult to fill at short notice, particularly on tightly scheduled domestic routes where aircraft routinely perform multiple legs per day.
These domestic challenges are unfolding within a broader pattern of turbulence across Asian skies. Fresh data compiled for February 10, 2026, show almost 4,000 flight delays and close to 80 cancellations across major hubs in Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, India, Indonesia, and Hong Kong, impacting airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, ANA, IndiGo, Thai Airways, and others. Ho Chi Minh City, Delhi, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Hanoi, and Phuket all reported heavy congestion and operational strain. Japan, as a central node in this regional network, is both contributing to and affected by these wider pressures.
Impact on Tourism, Business Travel and Regional Economies
The timing of the latest wave of cancellations is particularly sensitive for Japan’s tourism sector. February is a peak month for winter tourism in Hokkaido and northern Honshu, with domestic travelers and international visitors flocking to ski resorts and snow related festivals. Disruptions to flights serving Sapporo, Asahikawa, and regional airports complicate access to these destinations and raise the risk of missed hotel nights, pre booked tours, and onward rail connections. Even short delays can erode valuable time from tightly planned holiday itineraries.
Business travel has also been hit. The Tokyo Osaka shuttle corridor remains one of Asia’s most intensively used domestic air routes, and any sustained pattern of cancellations or unreliable departure times can disrupt corporate schedules, meetings, and time sensitive negotiations. While Japan’s high speed rail network offers an alternative on this particular corridor, many travelers still rely on flights for their speed, frequency, and integration with airport based business facilities and international connections.
Regional economies, especially in Kyushu and the outlying islands, feel the impact when flights are disrupted. Tourism dependent communities in places like Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Amami, and Yakushima are vulnerable to sudden swings in visitor numbers when travellers are unable to reach them as planned. Local hotels, restaurants, guides, and transport operators can all see immediate drops in revenue from a burst of cancellations, even if the wider national economy absorbs the shock more easily.
Advice for Affected and Prospective Travelers
For passengers already in Japan or scheduled to travel in the coming days, experts recommend monitoring flight status closely and building additional flexibility into itineraries. Checking airline websites and apps beginning from the day before departure is especially important, as many carriers, including JAL and ANA, update disruption information progressively rather than far in advance. Travelers should ensure they have enabled notification settings for their booking so that any changes are communicated promptly via email, app alert, or text message.
Those holding separate tickets for domestic and international segments should pay particular attention to connection times. When possible, allowing a wider buffer between arrival and onward departure can reduce the risk of missed flights if a domestic leg runs late. For essential trips, some travelers may consider shifting to earlier flights in the day to build in recovery time or, on specific routes such as Tokyo Osaka, temporarily relying on bullet trains, which are often less affected by the same factors that can disrupt air operations.
In the event of a cancellation, passengers are generally advised to seek rebooking options online before queuing at airport counters, where wait times can be considerable during mass disruption events. Many airlines allow self service rebooking through apps or websites for cancelled flights, which can speed up the process of securing an alternative departure. Keeping digital copies of booking confirmations, travel insurance policies, and any relevant expense receipts can also be helpful if travelers later pursue claims for accommodation, meals, or other costs associated with extended delays.
Outlook: Stabilization Efforts and What Comes Next
Looking ahead, Japanese airlines and airport authorities are working to stabilize operations and clear backlogs from the latest wave of cancellations and delays. If weather conditions remain manageable and no new technical or staffing issues arise, carriers are expected to progressively restore more regular schedules over the coming days. Some residual delays may persist as aircraft and crew are repositioned, but the priority is to maintain reliability on the busiest trunk routes and minimize further disruption to regional communities.
At the same time, the current situation has reignited discussion about resilience in Japan’s domestic aviation network. Industry analysts note that with Japan’s airlines already navigating structural changes, such as the planned retirement of the AirJapan brand and ongoing fleet modernization and maintenance challenges, operational buffers have grown thinner. The sector’s ability to absorb shocks, whether from weather, technical issues, or regional ripple effects, is being tested more often and more severely.
For travelers, the events of February 2026 serve as another reminder that even in a country renowned for punctuality and efficiency, air travel can be vulnerable to rapid and wide ranging disruption. As airlines and regulators review lessons from these cancellations, passengers are likely to see a continued emphasis on digital communication tools, flexible ticketing policies in times of disruption, and closer coordination between domestic and international schedules. Until then, anyone planning to fly into or within Japan in the near term is urged to remain vigilant, flexible, and prepared to adjust plans at short notice as the situation evolves.