Published on December 8, 2025
On a day when hopes of smooth travel across Japan were dashed, New Chitose (Sapporo), Osaka Itami, and Tokyo Haneda airports became the epicentres of aviation chaos — with a combined 130 flight delays and 14 cancellations jolting travellers nationwide. Passengers facing missed connections, last‑minute scrambles, and hours stuck in terminals were left reeling. The disruption paints a startling picture of how fragile domestic air travel can be during operational breakdowns.

Delays and cancellations rock major Japanese airports

Data aggregated from the three airports reveals a stark reality: 37 flights delayed and 8 cancelled at New Chitose; 28 delays and 3 cancellations at Osaka Itami; and a heavy 65 delays alongside 3 cancellations at Tokyo Haneda. In total, 130 disruptions today have thrown travel plans off track for many.

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These numbers align with broader reports of widespread airline disruptions across Japan — including cancellations and delays by carriers like Air Do, ANA Wings, and Jetstar Japan.

Why so many flights went off‑schedule

Sources suggest that these operational failures stem from a mixture of causes — from aircraft shortages to scheduling overload and possible crew limitations. On its official status page, Air Do cited “ship shortage” as the reason behind several cancellations between Tokyo and Sapporo/New Chitose.

Meanwhile, standard domestic‑flight updates from carriers like ANA reinforce that delays and cancellations can occur due to “airport congestion, technical issues or bad weather,” though no specific cause was publicly listed today.

Impact on travellers

For travellers — whether tourists heading to Hokkaido’s snowy landscapes, business passengers flying into Osaka, or those navigating transit through Tokyo — the disruption translated into long queues, frantic rebookings, and stress. Many found themselves stuck in airport terminals, scrambling for alternate flights or refunds.

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Regional connectivity also took a hit. The disruption affected flights not only between major cities but also to smaller regional and island destinations — causing ripple effects across Japan’s domestic network.

What passengers should do now

If your journey involved flight bookings through New Chitose, Osaka Itami or Tokyo Haneda today, you should:

• Immediately check your flight status via the airline’s official website or app (e.g. Air Do, ANA Wings, Jetstar Japan).
• Be ready to request rebooking or refunds. Airlines often allow swaps or refunds if flights are cancelled or significantly delayed.
• Avoid going to the airport without confirmation — several carriers and aviation authorities advise passengers to stay put until they receive a final update.

What this disruption says about Japan’s domestic air system

The scale and scope of today’s flight chaos expose a vulnerability in Japan’s heavily used domestic air network. With major hubs like New Chitose, Osaka Itami and Tokyo Haneda — gateways to tourism, business and regional connectivity — suffering simultaneous failures, travellers and operators alike are being reminded of how a few operational glitches can cascade into nationwide disruption.
Japan has seen similar spikes in flight problems recently, with one report citing over 500 delays and multiple cancellations across Haneda, New Chitose and other airports in a single day.

Passengers left waiting — and hoping

For many commuters, holidaymakers and business travellers, today turned into a waiting game — hours stuck in airport lounges, bags checked, coffee consumed, hopes pinned on a phone alert or a boarding gate announcement. Families, couples and solo travellers alike scrambled for seats on later flights.
For those who reached their destination, relief may have come — but the anxiety, uncertainty and lost time during the ordeal leave a mark.
As airports and airlines begin rescheduling flights over the next 24 to 48 hours, the immediate priority for affected passengers will be clarity — on when they can move, and how.

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Tags: Air Do, airport disruption, ANA, domestic travel Japan, flight cancellations

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