Thousands of travelers across Asia are grappling with major disruption this weekend as airports from Beijing to Tokyo, Fukuoka, Jakarta and Taipei report waves of cancellations and delays. In one of the most turbulent travel days of early 2026, at least 202 flights have been cancelled and around 972 delayed across the region, impacting carriers including Jetstar, All Nippon Airways, Ibex Airlines, Air Seoul, Batik Air, Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines and a variety of other domestic and regional operators. The knock-on effects are being felt at some of Asia’s busiest hubs, with passengers stranded overnight, itineraries shredded and Lunar New Year trips suddenly in doubt.
Asia’s Skies Snarled by Weather, Politics and Operational Strain
The latest disruption is part of a mounting pattern of instability in Asian air travel that blends bad weather, political tension and basic operational overload. Winter across the northern half of the continent has brought powerful cold fronts and snowfall that have hit major Japanese airports such as Narita, Haneda and Fukuoka especially hard. Airlines like Jetstar are already warning passengers of likely cancellations and delays at Fukuoka and other Kyushu airports, and have activated special arrangements for flights to and from Tokyo Narita on 7 and 8 February as snow threatens to close runways and slow ground handling.
At the same time, China’s decision to halt all scheduled flights on 49 routes between the mainland and Japan for the entire month of February has injected a fresh layer of disruption into a market that had only recently begun to rebuild. Routes linking cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing with Osaka and other Japanese gateways have effectively been frozen, forcing tens of thousands of travelers to reroute, seek refunds or abandon their trips entirely. Chinese carriers including Air China, China Eastern and China Southern have rolled out special refund and change policies, but the short notice and peak-season timing have left many travelers scrambling for alternatives.
Operational strain is compounding these structural shocks. Airlines across the region are still recalibrating fleets and crews after years of pandemic-related cuts, while airports wrestle with staffing and capacity constraints that leave little margin when storms, air traffic control restrictions or sudden schedule changes occur. The result on days like this weekend is a cascading series of delays and cancellations that spread quickly from one city to another, stranding passengers far from the original source of disruption.
Beijing and Northern China Caught in a Web of Reroutes
For travelers in and out of Beijing, the current turmoil has a dual edge. On one side, the near-total suspension of February flights between China and Japan is forcing reroutes through third countries or via Hong Kong and South Korea. This has sharply reduced direct capacity and driven up demand and prices on the few remaining options to and from Japan, placing additional stress on airlines such as Hainan Airlines and Tianjin Airlines that serve alternate regional routes.
On the other side, Beijing’s own operations are increasingly vulnerable to ripple effects from weather and congestion elsewhere. As Chinese carriers reshuffle aircraft previously dedicated to Japan routes, some have been redeployed to domestic and Southeast Asian networks, tightening turnaround times. Any local disruption can quickly mushroom into systemwide delays, leaving passengers with long waits at Beijing Capital and Daxing as aircraft and crew fall out of position.
Travelers booked on regional flights operated by Hainan Airlines and Tianjin Airlines are reporting extended holds at gates and late-night schedule changes, particularly on routes that connect through northern China to onward services for Japan and Southeast Asia. For many, the combination of political decisions over Japan flights and routine winter weather has blurred into a single, frustrating reality of uncertainty at the departure board.
Tokyo, Fukuoka and Japan’s Airports Struggle Through Winter Chaos
Japan’s airports are at the epicenter of the current disruption. A series of winter weather systems has repeatedly swept through the Kanto and Kyushu regions, triggering ground stops, de-icing delays and runway closures. Narita and Haneda, Tokyo’s two main international gateways, have seen hundreds of delays and dozens of cancellations in recent days, while regional airports such as Fukuoka, Oita, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima are preparing for entire days of disrupted operations as new cold fronts move in.
Jetstar, which has significant operations at Narita and Fukuoka, has explicitly warned passengers traveling on 7 and 8 February that snowfall could substantially affect operations. The airline has introduced flexible change options for Narita flights, allowing travelers to move their journeys without fees within a short window surrounding their original departure. This is a critical lifeline for tourists and business travelers alike who would otherwise be locked into nonrefundable tickets amid rapidly evolving forecasts.
All Nippon Airways and regional partner Ibex Airlines are also battling the conditions, juggling packed domestic schedules that connect Tokyo with smaller cities across Japan. When a storm slows or halts operations at major hubs, these carefully constructed networks unravel with remarkable speed, leading to aircraft and crew stranded out of position and forcing last-minute cancellations on sectors far removed from the original weather hotspot. For passengers, this can mean a cancelled evening flight from Fukuoka or Sendai not because of snow on their own runway, but due to an aircraft trapped hours earlier at a different airport.
Jakarta, Indonesia and the Southeast Asian Ripple Effect
Further south, Indonesia’s sprawling aviation network is experiencing its own share of secondary disruption. Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta International Airport is one of the busiest hubs in Southeast Asia and a critical node for carriers such as Batik Air and Garuda Indonesia. Even when local weather is favorable, the region is deeply connected to the wider Asian network, and disruption in northern hubs quickly translates into missed connections, late arrivals and last-minute equipment changes in Jakarta.
Batik Air, which operates an extensive schedule of domestic and regional routes from Jakarta and other Indonesian gateways, has seen its operations pressured by a combination of congestion and the wider regional turmoil. With flights to and from Japan curtailed from the Chinese side and delays mounting at regional hubs such as Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong, itineraries that rely on clean connections are increasingly prone to misalignment. Transit passengers who once enjoyed near-seamless same-day connections now find themselves facing overnight stays or multi-stop routings.
Indonesia’s own recent aviation incidents and heightened regulatory scrutiny are encouraging airlines to take a highly cautious approach when weather or operational uncertainties arise. While this is positive from a safety standpoint, it can translate into conservative decisions to postpone or cancel departures when in previous years a narrow operating window might have been used. The resulting delays and cancellations feed back into the region’s already stressed schedules, catching even purely domestic travelers in the crossfire.
Taiwan and the Wider Northeast Asia Corridor Under Pressure
Taiwan’s position on the primary corridor between Northeast and Southeast Asia means it is intimately tied to the disruptions unfolding in Japan, China and beyond. While Taiwan’s main hubs in Taipei have not faced the same level of weather-related turmoil as some Japanese airports, they have become an important diversion and reroute option for airlines forced to adjust their networks on short notice.
Carriers operating through Taiwan are absorbing passengers displaced from suspended China Japan services and from disrupted itineraries in Korea and Japan. This puts additional pressure on seat availability and on-time performance for flights that might otherwise have operated relatively smoothly. Travelers transiting through Taipei may encounter fuller cabins, tighter connection windows and a higher risk of misconnected baggage as ground operations race to keep up with the influx.
For Taiwanese travelers themselves, the growing unpredictability of regional flights poses particular challenges in planning trips for Lunar New Year and early spring. Popular leisure routes to Japan are now subject to last-minute cancellations or multi-stop routings, while corporate travel planners struggle to guarantee attendance at meetings and events across the region. Even when flights operate, schedules are increasingly subject to change until shortly before departure, eroding confidence in what was once a highly punctual and reliable corridor.
How Airlines Like Jetstar, ANA, Air Seoul and Others Are Responding
Airlines at the center of the current turmoil are working to stabilize operations while offering at least some flexibility to affected passengers. All Nippon Airways has been proactively trimming schedules around the heaviest forecast weather windows and advising travelers to check flight status frequently, as well as to consider voluntary changes when possible. Its regional partner Ibex Airlines faces the difficult task of maintaining tight domestic connections that feed into long haul services, often with limited spare aircraft and crew.
Jetstar has adopted a mixed strategy of targeted schedule adjustments and customer focused policies, such as allowing free changes for flights into and out of Narita during the highest risk snowfall period. This approach seeks to reduce the number of passengers who end up stranded at the airport waiting for flights that are unlikely to operate while also giving travelers the confidence to rebook without incurring heavy penalties. Communication through apps and email is central to this effort, as many decisions are being made within 24 hours of departure.
Air Seoul, Batik Air, Hainan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines and other mid sized regional carriers are more constrained by fleet size and network complexity. When one aircraft is delayed for hours or grounded entirely, there are fewer backup options to plug the gap, which means cancellations become more likely. Several of these airlines have introduced temporary fee waivers, limited rebooking flexibility or special refund conditions on selected routes. Still, in many cases, passengers report long waits at call centers and ticket counters as customer service teams struggle to process the volume of changes in real time.
Passengers on the Ground: Long Lines, Frayed Nerves and Hard Choices
For travelers caught in the middle of this storm of disruption, the experience is as emotional as it is logistical. At airports from Beijing and Shanghai to Tokyo, Fukuoka, Jakarta and Taipei, long lines have formed at check in desks and transit counters as passengers seek answers about their flights. Families with young children camp on the floor near power outlets, clutching carry on bags and charging phones to monitor airline alerts. Business travelers pace terminal corridors taking hurried calls to reschedule meetings and hotel stays.
Many passengers booked on affected flights report that the greatest challenge is not the cancellation itself but the lack of clear information in the crucial hours when decisions are being made. Airlines and airports issue general travel advisories, yet specific flight status updates may arrive late or change rapidly as conditions evolve. Some travelers learn of cancellations only after arriving at the airport, while others are rebooked but find that their new connections are also delayed or oversold.
Faced with uncertainty, travelers are forced into difficult choices. Should they accept a reroute that turns a five hour journey into a 20 hour marathon with overnight layovers, or hold out for a direct flight days later. Is it worth forfeiting prepaid hotel nights and tour bookings in the hope of salvaging a shortened trip. For those traveling for family emergencies, weddings or once in a lifetime events, the stakes are even higher, and the emotional toll of disrupted plans can be considerable.
Practical Advice for Navigating Asia’s Unsettled Skies
For readers planning to fly through Asia in the coming days and weeks, a few practical steps can significantly improve the odds of a manageable journey. The first is to monitor your itinerary obsessively beginning several days before departure. Use airline apps and sign up for text or email alerts so that schedule changes or weather related advisories reach you as early as possible. Particularly if you are flying into or out of northern Japan, Beijing or major hubs such as Jakarta and Bangkok, assume that winter weather or congestion could affect your plans even if the forecast appears moderate.
Second, build extra slack into your trip. This could mean choosing an earlier flight in the day, leaving more time between connections, or even arriving at your destination a day ahead of a critical event. When airlines like Jetstar, ANA or regional partners offer voluntary rebooking or flexible change policies tied to weather advisories, consider taking advantage of them rather than waiting to see if your original departure operates on time. A proactive move to a less crowded flight or a day with lighter weather can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a complete derailment of your plans.
Finally, keep your expectations flexible and your essentials close at hand. Pack necessary medications, chargers and at least one change of clothes in your carry on bag in case you find yourself unexpectedly overnighting in Beijing, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Jakarta or another hub. Have a mental backup plan for accommodations and alternative transport if a missed connection strands you late at night. While no amount of planning can fully insulate travelers from the complex forces now roiling Asian aviation, a thoughtful, agile approach can help turn an ordeal into a navigable, if still memorable, chapter in your journey.