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Travelers across Japan and on trans-Pacific routes are facing fresh disruption this weekend as more than 30 flights involving major carriers such as AirAsia Japan, United Airlines and Japan Airlines have been canceled or heavily delayed, snarling connections to Newark, Boston, Osaka, Fukuoka and other key destinations following a powerful winter storm in the northeastern United States.
Blizzard in Northeast US Sends Shockwaves Through Japan Schedules
The latest wave of cancellations stems from the historic February 2026 North American blizzard, which brought hurricane-force gusts, more than 60 centimeters of snow in places and widespread power outages across the northeastern United States. The storm severely curtailed operations at major hubs including Newark Liberty International and Boston Logan, two of the primary US gateways for Japan-bound traffic.
As US carriers work to clear multi-day backlogs, aircraft and crew imbalances are now being felt on the other side of the Pacific. Flights that would normally operate from Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka to the United States are being scrubbed or rescheduled because inbound aircraft have not arrived or must be repositioned to other parts of affected networks.
United Airlines, which maintains a significant trans-Pacific presence at Newark and other East Coast airports, has been among the hardest hit. Data from flight-tracking services show United canceling a meaningful share of its scheduled services during the height of the storm, and the ripple effect has led to a series of last-minute adjustments on Japan routes as the carrier prioritizes safety and recovery of core operations.
Japan Airlines and other Asia-based carriers are also revising schedules as they contend with slot restrictions and congested turnarounds at US airports still digging out from the blizzard, resulting in isolated cancellations and rolling delays on services that connect via affected hubs.
Over 30 Cancellations and Hundreds of Delays Across Asian Gateways
While the epicenter of the weather disruption is in North America, its effects have cascaded through Asia. Aviation operations data in recent days show that airports across Thailand, Japan, India, the United Arab Emirates, China, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia collectively recorded more than 2,500 delayed flights and upwards of 50 outright cancellations in a single day, with Japanese hubs including Tokyo Haneda, Narita and Fukuoka all reporting elevated disruption.
Within that broader picture, more than 30 Japan-related departures and arrivals have been canceled outright, according to aggregated schedules and airport boards, with many more subject to extended delays. The total includes flights operated or marketed by AirAsia affiliates, Japan Airlines, United Airlines and several codeshare partners that feed traffic into trans-Pacific and regional networks.
Travelers bound for US destinations such as Newark and Boston have been particularly affected, as airlines trim frequencies, consolidate lightly booked services and redeploy widebody aircraft to routes where stranded passengers can be accommodated more quickly. Some carriers are upgauging remaining services from Japan to handle overflow, leading to further timetable shuffles at short notice.
On the regional side, Japanese domestic operations are also absorbing strain as carriers juggle aircraft rotations. Select services between Tokyo and key cities including Osaka and Fukuoka have been pulled from schedules or retimed, especially where those aircraft were due to continue onward to long-haul sectors impacted by the storm-related disruption.
Impact on Key Routes to Osaka and Fukuoka
Osaka and Fukuoka, two of Japan’s busiest regional gateways, have emerged as secondary flashpoints in the ongoing disruption. Both airports play a dual role: handling dense domestic traffic and acting as feeders into long-haul and regional international networks. When widebody aircraft are grounded overseas, the knock-on effect can quickly cascade into these domestic markets.
In recent days, carriers have canceled and consolidated multiple frequencies linking Fukuoka with the Kansai region and the Tokyo area, as well as trimming a handful of Osaka services that were aligned with trans-Pacific arrivals and departures. These moves are intended to free aircraft and crews for recovery flying on higher-priority international sectors where passengers remain stranded far from home.
Passengers traveling between Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo are encountering longer-than-usual connection times, as well as sudden gate and timing changes announced only hours before departure. Airport staff at both cities report steady crowds at airline service counters, where travelers are seeking rebooking options, overnight accommodation and guidance on when operations might normalize.
Despite the disruption, Japan’s major domestic carriers are attempting to preserve core commuter and business-travel corridors at peak hours. Early morning and late evening flights on the busiest city pairs are more likely to operate, while midday services remain the most vulnerable to cancellation when aircraft or crew constraints emerge.
How Airlines and Airports Are Managing Stranded Travelers
Across Japan, airlines have rolled out a suite of waivers and flexible ticketing policies to manage the operational turmoil. Many carriers are allowing passengers booked on affected flights to rebook once, without change fees, for travel over the coming days, although fare differences may still apply on some routes or in higher-demand cabins.
At major international hubs such as Tokyo Haneda and Narita, customer-service teams have been bolstered, with additional staff brought onto ticketing counters and call centers. Self-service kiosks and mobile apps are being pushed as the fastest way for passengers to confirm new itineraries, while airport announcement systems repeatedly urge travelers to check their flight status before heading to the terminal.
Airport operators in Osaka and Fukuoka have adjusted staffing and security checkpoint allocations to cope with fluctuating passenger volumes throughout the day. Retail and food outlets in sterile areas are reporting extended opening hours as passengers face longer waits, particularly in the evening wave when delayed trans-Pacific arrivals finally land and connecting travelers rush to rejoin domestic networks.
Hotels near Japan’s major airports are also experiencing a spike in demand, with same-day bookings rising sharply. Some airlines are offering limited accommodation vouchers for passengers whose disruptions are directly linked to the operational fallout, though in many cases travelers are being advised that weather-related issues fall outside standard compensation rules.
What Passengers Should Expect in the Coming Days
Industry analysts warn that, even as the blizzard’s immediate impact on US airports begins to ease, the global aviation system will need several days to fully rebalance. Aircraft and crew still remain out of position after multiple days of large-scale cancellations, and maintenance requirements and crew-duty limits further constrain how quickly schedules can return to normal.
For Japan-based travelers or those transiting the country, that means a continued risk of late-notice cancellations or substantial delays on routes touching Newark, Boston and other East Coast gateways, as well as on select domestic links into and out of Osaka and Fukuoka that depend on the same aircraft rotations. Passengers connecting from Southeast Asia or other parts of Asia into Japan for onward travel to the United States may face additional uncertainty as upstream delays propagate through the network.
Travel experts advise allowing extra time for connections, booking earlier departures where possible and monitoring airline communications channels closely. Flexibility on dates, times and even airports can significantly improve the chances of securing a timely alternative, especially while carriers continue to prioritize rebooking travelers who have already experienced cancellations.
While no major Japanese carrier has signaled a long-term reduction in capacity, the events of this week underscore how quickly severe weather on one continent can upend itineraries half a world away. For now, passengers are being urged to treat schedules as fluid and to prepare for continued disruption as airlines slowly rebuild the intricate web of flights that link Japan with the storm-battered northeastern United States and the rest of Asia.