Thousands of travelers across Japan are facing severe disruption as a wave of cancellations and delays ripples through the country’s busiest air hubs, from Tokyo and Hokkaido to Osaka, Kyushu and the Chubu region.

According to the latest operational data, airlines including ANA Wings, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Air Do and Peach Aviation have collectively canceled 174 flights and delayed 980 more, snarling traffic at major airports such as Tokyo Haneda, New Chitose, Fukuoka, Kansai, Narita and Osaka Itami.

The disruption is stranding passengers, stretching airline operations and underscoring how vulnerable Japan’s dense domestic network remains to sudden shocks in weather and capacity.

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Wide-Scale Disruption Across Japan’s Major Hubs

The latest figures show a heavy concentration of disruptions at the nation’s largest airports, where tight schedules and high traffic volumes leave little room for operational slack. Tokyo’s Haneda Airport has recorded roughly 250 flight delays and 36 cancellations, making it the single most affected hub by raw numbers. Narita International Airport has seen around 158 delays and 5 cancellations, while New Chitose Airport near Sapporo has emerged as the worst-hit in terms of outright cancellations, with 71 flights scrubbed and 119 delayed.

Fukuoka Airport on Kyushu has reported about 174 delays and 4 cancellations, underscoring the nationwide reach of the current disruption. Osaka’s two major gateways, Itami and Kansai, have also suffered: Osaka Itami has seen close to 89 delays and 9 cancellations, while Kansai International has logged 81 delays and 3 cancellations. Mid-sized hubs such as Chubu Centrair near Nagoya have not been spared either, with around 50 delays and 4 cancellations contributing to the system-wide strain.

Beyond the headline numbers, the operational squeeze is acutely felt at smaller regional and Hokkaido airports, where overall traffic is lower but cancellation ratios are much higher. With fewer daily services, even a handful of grounded flights can effectively isolate communities for an entire day, reducing options for residents and visitors alike and complicating logistics for local businesses.

Pressure Mounts on ANA, JAL, ANA Wings, Air Do and Peach Aviation

Japan’s leading carriers have borne the brunt of the turbulence. Japan Airlines has reported approximately 235 delayed flights and 43 cancellations across its domestic network, giving it one of the largest disruption footprints. All Nippon Airways has recorded around 139 delays, with schedule changes spread out over key domestic routes touching Haneda, Fukuoka, Itami, Hakodate and Narita.

Regional operator ANA Wings has been hit disproportionately hard relative to its size, reporting 37 cancellations and 92 delays. Many of these are linked to operations at New Chitose and Osaka Itami, where the airline plays a major role in feeding domestic traffic. Air Do, a carrier heavily focused on Hokkaido routes, has stood out as the single airline with the highest number of cancellations, with an estimated 50 flights cut and 51 delayed, much of that centered on New Chitose and Tokyo Haneda.

Low-cost players are also in the crosshairs. Jetstar Japan has logged about 12 cancellations and 41 delays, centered on Narita, Kansai, Fukuoka and New Chitose, disrupting both domestic and short-haul leisure travel. Peach Aviation, another major low-cost operator, has reported roughly 45 delayed flights, primarily at Kansai, Narita and Fukuoka, pointing to congestion and knock-on schedule issues even where cancellation numbers remain modest.

Weather, Congestion and Fleet Constraints Behind the Chaos

The latest wave of disruptions comes as Japan grapples with severe winter weather, particularly heavy snow and strong winds sweeping across northern and coastal areas. National broadcaster reports and aviation advisories indicate that All Nippon Airways canceled more than 50 flights on Tuesday, while Japan Airlines canceled nearly 40, citing deteriorating conditions. Other carriers, including Peach Aviation, Air Do, Jetstar Japan and Fuji Dream Airlines, also suspended flights as snow and crosswinds made operations unsafe.

Meteorologists are warning of continued snowfall and gusty conditions, especially across Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan coast. Forecasters have cautioned that blizzard conditions, high waves and potential coastal flooding may persist, complicating not only air travel but also ferry and road operations. Authorities have urged residents and travelers to remain alert to rapidly changing conditions and to expect possible extensions of the current disruption window if storms intensify or linger.

Weather is not the only factor testing Japan’s aviation system. Airlines are operating under tight fleet and crew constraints after several years of pandemic-era retrenchment and a subsequent rapid rebound in demand. Some operators continue to manage aircraft on the ground for maintenance, including widebody and high-capacity models that are crucial for absorbing peak traffic. In this context, winter storms are acting as a stress test on a network that has less spare capacity and fewer backup options than in the pre-pandemic period.

Passengers Face Long Lines, Missed Connections and Patchy Options

Inside terminals across Japan, passengers are grappling with the immediate human cost of the disruptions. At Haneda and Narita, travelers have reported long customer service lines as they seek rebookings and refunds, while airport displays cycle through lists of delayed departures and arrivals. Families returning from winter holidays, business travelers on tight schedules and inbound tourists alike are facing extended waits, missed connections and, in some cases, overnight stays as flights roll into the next day’s rotation.

At New Chitose, where cancellation numbers are particularly high, domestic tourists heading to Hokkaido’s ski resorts have found their travel plans upended. Some have turned to rail and long-distance buses as backups, but these modes have limited capacity, especially during peak holiday and weekend periods. For visitors trying to connect to international services at Narita or Kansai, the knock-on effects are especially painful, with missed onward flights and complicated rebooking processes involving multiple airlines and fare rules.

Budget-conscious travelers flying with low-cost carriers are discovering that while tickets may be less expensive, disruption protections can be more limited. Some carriers provide free rebooking or refund options in the event of significant delays or cancellations, but do not cover additional accommodation or ground-transport costs. This leaves many passengers out of pocket when forced to stay overnight or reroute at short notice, reinforcing the importance of travel insurance and flexible itineraries during the winter months.

How Airlines Are Responding and What Travelers Are Being Told

Airlines across the Japanese market are urging passengers to monitor official channels closely, as schedules are being adjusted hour by hour in response to evolving weather data and air traffic control directives. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways are updating flight status pages frequently, advising customers to verify departure and arrival times before leaving for the airport. Many carriers have opened special rebooking and refund windows, allowing passengers on affected flights to change plans without standard penalties.

Peach Aviation, for example, specifies that when a domestic flight is delayed by an hour or more, or an international service by two hours or more, affected customers are eligible for refunds or transfers to alternative flights without handling fees if they apply through the airline’s website. Other low-cost carriers follow similar policies, though conditions and application windows can vary. Passengers who booked through travel agencies or third parties are generally being directed back to those intermediaries to process changes.

Airlines are cautioning that accommodation and secondary transport costs will largely remain the responsibility of travelers, even when disruptions arise from weather or operational constraints beyond their control. While this approach aligns with standard industry practice, it can come as a surprise to infrequent flyers. Airport staff and call centers are fielding questions about delay and cancellation certificates, which passengers may need for travel insurance claims or employer documentation, and several carriers now allow these certificates to be issued online.

Regional Airports and International Carriers Also Feel the Strain

Behind the headline numbers from Haneda, Narita, Kansai and New Chitose lies a more complex picture of how the disruption is rippling through secondary airports and international routes. Regional gateways such as Aomori, Sendai, Hakodate, Memanbetsu and the smaller Okadama Airport in Sapporo have recorded comparatively fewer flights in absolute terms, yet experienced elevated cancellation ratios. For communities reliant on these links, the suspension of even a few services can mean long gaps between available flights.

International carriers operating into Japan have not escaped unscathed. Some foreign airlines running limited schedules into airports like New Chitose, Fukuoka and Kansai have reported that all or nearly all of their flights on particular days are delayed. Carriers from East and Southeast Asia, including Chinese and Korean operators, have found their timetables jolted by weather and congestion, particularly on routes already trimmed or restructured for the current northern winter season.

The disruption is also intersecting with broader structural changes in regional connectivity. Chinese airlines, for example, have been steadily canceling a range of routes to Japan for the winter 2025 to 2026 period, including links to Tokyo Narita, Osaka Kansai, Nagoya and regional Japanese cities. While these cuts are largely driven by demand and competitive dynamics rather than weather, the result is a network that has less redundancy and fewer alternative options when storms or operational shocks hit key hubs.

Outlook: Continued Volatility as Winter Weather Persists

With winter in Japan still far from over, aviation authorities and airline planners are bracing for further volatility in the weeks ahead. Forecasts suggest that strong winds and heavy snow will continue to affect northern and coastal regions, with intermittent impacts on central and western Japan as systems move through. That means travelers can expect additional waves of delays and cancellations whenever conditions deteriorate, especially at airports like New Chitose, Hakodate and other Hokkaido gateways that are particularly exposed to snowstorms.

Airlines are attempting to adapt by building more slack into schedules on weather-sensitive routes, deploying aircraft with better cold-weather performance where possible and coordinating closely with air traffic controllers to smooth peak congestion at major hubs. Yet the confluence of tight fleet availability, strong travel demand and volatile winter patterns suggests that complete stability remains unlikely in the near term.

For travelers, the current disruption serves as a reminder to plan conservatively during Japan’s snowy season. Industry experts advise allowing ample connection time, opting for flexible tickets where budgets allow and keeping a close eye on official flight updates in the 24 hours before departure. As carriers such as ANA, JAL, ANA Wings, Air Do, Peach Aviation and others work to stabilize their operations in Haneda, New Chitose, Fukuoka, Kansai, Narita, Itami and beyond, the coming days will test just how resilient Japan’s air travel infrastructure can be under sustained winter pressure.