Severe weather across parts of Asia has triggered a new wave of air travel disruption, with at least 22 flights scrapped and 189 delayed on February 11, 2026. Batik Air, Philippine Airlines, IndiGo, and Tibet Airlines have all been affected, as storms, heavy rain, low visibility, and difficult mountainous conditions challenge operations in Indonesia, the Philippines, India, and Tibet. For travelers, this means longer waits at airports, missed connections, and an urgent need to stay informed about fast changing conditions and airline policies.
Where the Disruptions Are Hitting Hardest
The latest disruption pattern stretches across a wide swath of Asia, but four regions stand out: Indonesia, the Philippines, India, and Tibet. Each is grappling with its own combination of tropical weather, seasonal fog, or high altitude conditions, and together they have created a patchwork of delays and cancellations that are impacting both domestic and international routes.
In Indonesia, adverse weather systems have brought heavy rainfall and storms to several key aviation hubs. Jakarta Soekarno Hatta and Sultan Hasanuddin in Makassar are among the hardest hit, with Batik Air and other carriers forced to trim schedules or hold departures on the ground. The disruptions come on the back of a broader pattern of weather related disturbances around the archipelago, including past volcanic activity that has also temporarily shut airspace or forced rerouting of flights.
The Philippines is confronting the tail end of its own storm cycle, with Philippine Airlines and other carriers managing unstable conditions around Manila and secondary airports. While the current tally of scrapped and delayed flights is lower than during recent typhoon events, the situation still complicates domestic connectivity and international links, especially for passengers connecting out of Manila to North America or the wider Asia Pacific region.
In India and Tibet, the challenges are more varied. India faces bouts of low visibility, particularly around northern and central hubs such as Delhi and other busy airports, where winter fog and unstable weather patterns routinely disrupt schedules. Tibet deals with a different risk profile, where high altitude airports surrounded by mountains present a narrow operating window that can close quickly if weather deteriorates. The result is a patchy but significant list of cancellations and delays that can ripple across entire airline networks.
How Batik Air, Philippine Airlines, IndiGo, and Tibet Airlines Are Affected
Batik Air has emerged among the most visibly impacted carriers in Indonesia, with around 10 flights canceled on routes linking Jakarta with Makassar, Palembang, and other domestic destinations. Operations at Jakarta Soekarno Hatta and Sultan Hasanuddin have seen repeated schedule changes as intense showers and storms move through, forcing last minute adjustments and sometimes complete cancellations. Batik Air has focused the disruption on specific rotations where forecast conditions are worst, but the knock on effects have also hit connecting passengers and crew rotations.
Philippine Airlines has reported a smaller number of cancellations compared with Indonesia, but key flights between Manila and General Santos, as well as long haul services involving Manila and overseas hubs such as Seattle, have been impacted. As the country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines anchors many onward connections for both overseas Filipino workers and leisure travelers. When one or two international flights are canceled or heavily delayed, passengers can face missed onward journeys and overnight stays in Manila that were never part of their original plans.
In India, IndiGo continues to operate within an already tight environment after its well publicized scheduling crisis in late 2025, and the latest bout of bad weather has added pressure. The current disruption has led to the cancellation of six flights in this specific wave, mainly on trunk routes linking major metros like Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi, alongside shorter domestic hops. IndiGo has warned passengers of likely delays and cancellations whenever dense fog or thunderstorms are forecast, adopting a more conservative stance after earlier operational problems.
Tibet Airlines, which operates in some of the world’s most challenging aviation conditions, has canceled at least three flights, including services between Qamdo and Lhasa and between Ngari and Lhasa. High altitude turbulence, sudden changes in visibility, and strict crosswind limits at plateau airports leave little margin when weather turns adverse. Cancellations are often the only safe option, but they significantly disrupt local mobility in a region where alternative ground transport can be slow and logistically demanding.
What This Means for Passengers on the Ground
For travelers, statistics like “22 flights canceled” and “189 delayed” translate into practical problems at the airport. Crowded terminals, long lines at rebooking desks, and uncertain departure times have become common at affected airports across Indonesia, the Philippines, India, and Tibet. In some terminals, passengers have reported spending many hours waiting for updated departure information, only to learn that their flights have been pushed back again or removed from the schedule entirely.
These disruptions are especially difficult for passengers with onward connections. A delayed domestic flight into Jakarta or Manila can mean a missed long haul connection that only departs once per day, or even less frequently. Travelers headed to North America, Europe, or the Middle East may be forced to overnight at intermediate hubs, rebook at higher fares on other airlines, or delay important meetings and events. Similarly, travelers connecting into smaller regional airports risk losing same day connectivity and needing to reorganize hotel stays and transfers at short notice.
Families, tour groups, and business travelers feel the impact differently, but the financial burden is common across categories. Unexpected meals at the airport, last minute hotel bookings, reissued tickets, and changed ground transport arrangements quickly add up. Where airlines provide accommodations or meal vouchers, relief is partial but still constrained by local regulations and each carrier’s policies. In other cases, especially when delays are classified as weather related and outside the airline’s control, out of pocket costs may fall entirely on passengers.
Why Weather Is Disrupting Flights So Severely
Weather has always been a decisive factor in aviation, but the recent disruptions underline just how sensitive modern air networks are to storms, fog, and high altitude conditions. In tropical countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, heavy rain cells, thunderstorms, and strong winds can make it unsafe to land or take off, even when airports remain technically open. Aircraft require defined minima for visibility and cloud ceiling, and when those are not met, flights cannot legally operate.
In India, seasonal fog plays a particularly disruptive role, especially in and around Delhi and other northern cities. Even with advanced instrument landing systems and trained crews, very low visibility stretches can reduce runway capacity dramatically. When airlines cluster a large number of departures and arrivals into early morning and late evening peaks, dense fog can quickly lead to cascading delays as aircraft and crews end up out of position. Once a bank of rotations is disrupted, it often takes the entire day for schedules to stabilize.
Tibet and its surrounding plateau present a different meteorological challenge. Strong winds aloft, mountain wave activity, and rapidly shifting cloud layers around high altitude airports can close or severely restrict operations with little warning. The combination of thin air, shorter takeoff and landing margins, and complex terrain demands conservative decision making. A weather pattern that might cause only minor delays at a sea level airport can force outright cancellations in these environments.
Underlying all of this is an emerging pattern of more frequent and intense weather events reported by meteorological agencies across Asia. While individual disruptions cannot always be directly tied to long term climate trends, airlines and regulators are increasingly planning for more volatile conditions, whether that means extended fog seasons, more powerful storms, or shifts in monsoon behavior that alter historical operating windows.
How Airlines and Airports Are Responding
Carriers such as Batik Air, Philippine Airlines, IndiGo, and Tibet Airlines are responding with a combination of schedule adjustments, flexible policies, and real time communication. In Indonesia, Batik Air has temporarily rerouted some aircraft and reduced frequency on specific city pairs where weather disruptions are recurring, favoring mid day operations when conditions are more stable. Coordination with airport authorities and air traffic control is critical, as everyone seeks to balance safety with the need to move stranded passengers as soon as conditions improve.
Philippine Airlines has emphasized advanced alerts where possible, notifying passengers of potential disruptions before they leave for the airport. Following lessons learned from recent typhoon seasons, the carrier has strengthened its day of travel communication through SMS, email, and app notifications. At Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, ground staff have been repositioned to help reroute affected passengers, especially those with international connections or urgent travel needs.
In India, IndiGo’s current weather related disruptions are unfolding under heightened regulatory scrutiny after its 2025 scheduling crisis. Authorities have already insisted on more realistic rosters and contingency buffers, which in turn should help the airline absorb some shocks from fog and storms more effectively. However, the tradeoff is a tighter schedule and fewer spare aircraft, meaning that once a disruption occurs, it can still take time to restore normal operations. Airports are also investing in low visibility procedures and improved runway guidance systems to expand operating windows during marginal conditions.
Tibet Airlines and regional authorities are focusing on precision forecasting and clear go or no go criteria. High altitude airports cannot easily be upgraded in terms of runway length or terrain clearance, so operational safety leans heavily on forecasting and crew training. Where possible, flights are scheduled into narrower time bands with historically stable weather, but when conditions deteriorate, airlines have shown a willingness to cancel early rather than risk prolonged holding patterns or last minute diversions.
What Travelers Should Do Before Heading to the Airport
For passengers planning to travel through any of the affected regions in the coming days, preparation and flexibility are essential. The first step is to monitor flight status closely, using airline apps, official social media channels, or contact centers for the most current updates. Schedules and departure times published days in advance are increasingly subject to change during volatile weather periods, and relying solely on your original itinerary can lead to unpleasant surprises at check in.
Travelers should build extra time into itineraries that rely on tight connections, especially when flying through known weather sensitive hubs in Indonesia, the Philippines, or northern India. A domestic leg that connects to a long haul flight on a separate ticket is particularly risky during these periods. Whenever possible, booking through itineraries on a single ticket and a single airline or alliance improves the chances of automatic protection, rebooking, or rerouting when disruptions occur.
It also pays to understand the basic contours of airline policies for delays and cancellations. Weather related disruptions are often treated differently from technical or crew related issues, with fewer obligations for carriers to offer hotels or compensation. Nonetheless, many airlines still provide meal vouchers, rebooking assistance, and in some cases overnight accommodations when passengers are stranded far from home. Keeping receipts for additional expenses and reading the fine print of your ticket and travel insurance can help when seeking reimbursement later.
Key Tips for Managing Disruptions in Real Time
Once you are already traveling and a disruption hits, rapid information gathering and clear priorities will help you navigate the situation. As soon as a delay is announced, verify whether your onward connections are at risk. If you are on a tight schedule, approach airline staff early to explore rebooking options before queues lengthen. Some carriers allow self service rebooking via their apps or kiosks at the airport, which can be much faster than waiting in line at a traditional service desk.
For those stranded overnight, safety and documentation should come first. Confirm your updated itinerary in writing or via a formal notification in the airline app before arranging hotels or ground transport. If the airline offers accommodation or transport, ensure you understand the details, including what is covered and what is not. Solo travelers should choose reputable hotels and avoid last minute arrangements with unverified drivers or informal brokers, especially in large, unfamiliar cities.
Passengers traveling with children, elderly relatives, or people with reduced mobility may wish to proactively request assistance or priority handling where available. Many airlines and airports can provide wheelchairs, escort services, or earlier rebooking for vulnerable travelers. Making these needs known early often results in smoother handling when boarding is called or when schedules change again with little warning.
Looking Ahead: What This Signals for Air Travel in Asia
The current wave of cancellations and delays, while limited in absolute numbers, reflects a broader reality for aviation in Asia. Weather driven disruptions are becoming more frequent and more complex to manage, particularly in regions where infrastructure is stretched and demand is growing rapidly. Airlines like Batik Air, Philippine Airlines, IndiGo, and Tibet Airlines are operating in environments where a single storm system, fog event, or high altitude disturbance can ripple across their networks and impact passengers far beyond the immediate region.
For travelers, this means that flexibility and resilience will increasingly become part of the standard toolkit when flying in and around Asia. Building longer layovers, choosing flights earlier in the day, and keeping digital channels handy for alerts and rebooking can significantly reduce stress when disruptions hit. At the same time, regulators and airports are being pushed to invest more heavily in forecasting, low visibility operations, and contingency planning to keep people and economies moving safely.
As conditions stabilize in the coming days, airlines are expected to gradually restore normal operations and clear the backlog of delayed passengers. But with volatile weather patterns now a recurring theme across the region, today’s disruption is unlikely to be the last. For anyone traveling through Indonesia, the Philippines, India, or Tibet in the near future, staying informed and planning for uncertainty will be just as important as choosing the right destination.