Published on
March 16, 2026
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Thousands of travellers are stranded across Asia today, as significant flight disruptions affect major airports in China, India, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and more. With 1926 flights delayed and 496 cancelled, major airlines like Air India, ANA Wings, Qatar Airways, and Emirates have been heavily impacted. The chaos stems from a combination of weather-related delays, operational strains, and crew shortages, causing widespread travel disruptions in critical hubs such as Mumbai, Abu Dhabi, Delhi, Jeddah, Dubai, and beyond, leaving passengers facing extended waits and uncertain travel plans.
Asia’s skies have descended into travel chaos today with an unprecedented surge in flight delays and cancellations hitting major hubs from China to Saudi Arabia. Across the region, airlines battled operational strain, leaving thousands of passengers stranded with disrupted itineraries. According to compiled operational data:
- Total cancellations in Asia today: 496 flights
- Total delays in Asia today: 1926 flights
From Mumbai and Delhi in India, to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and hubs in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and China, travellers faced unplanned layovers, missed connections and travel upheaval.
This report breaks down the full scale of disruption by country, airport and airline, giving you a complete overview of today’s operational breakdown.
Air Travel Disruption Sweeps Across Asia Today: Full Country Breakdown
Bahrain – Massive Cancellations at Bahrain International Airport Today
Bahrain International Airport (BAH) suffered one of the highest cancellation rates in Asia today.
Operational figures show:
| Airport | Cancelled (#) | Cancelled (%) | Delayed (#) | Delayed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain Int’l (BAH) | 72 | 84% | 0 | 0% |
| Bahrain Int’l (BAH) | 72 | 85% | 0 | 0% |
Travel chaos struck this Gulf hub with over four‑fifths of flights cancelled — an extraordinary disruption burdening travellers and airline operations alike.
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China – Major Delays in Chengdu Today
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) reported moderate cancellation impact but significant delays:
| Airport | Cancelled (#) | Cancelled (%) | Delayed (#) | Delayed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu Shuangliu Int’l (CTU) | 8 | 2% | 43 | 13% |
China’s domestic travel rebound saw schedules bogged down by weather, crew shortages or logistical ripple effects — translating into dozens of late departures.
India – Severe Impact at India’s Busiest Airports Today
India saw multiple hubs disrupted, with both Mumbai and Delhi among the most affected, and Hyderabad also impacted.
| Airport | Cancelled (#) | Cancelled (%) | Delayed (#) | Delayed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Int’l (BOM) | 13 | 2% | 189 | 35% |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Int’l (BOM) | 14 | 2% | 190 | 37% |
| Indira Gandhi Int’l (DEL) | 10 | 1% | 269 | 34% |
| Indira Gandhi Int’l (DEL) | 13 | 1% | 293 | 38% |
| Rajiv Gandhi Int’l (HYD) | 9 | 3% | 56 | 20% |
Mumbai and Delhi saw hundreds of delayed flights, while cancellations — though proportionally smaller — still displaced significant numbers of travellers.
At Bombay, more than one in three flights were delayed. In Delhi, nearly four in ten passengers faced lateness — illustrating strain on India’s major gateways today.
Jordan – Queen Alia International Under Operational Pressure Today
Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) showed considerable turbulence:
| Airport | Cancelled (#) | Cancelled (%) | Delayed (#) | Delayed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Alia Int’l (AMM) | 22 | 21% | 15 | 14% |
| Queen Alia Int’l (AMM) | 15 | 14% | 13 | 12% |
With up to one in five flights cancelled, travellers at AMM faced uncertainty and rescheduling challenges today.
Kuwait – Notable Cancellations Today
Kuwait International Airport (KWI) recorded cancellations but no reported delays in available data:
| Airport | Cancelled (#) | Cancelled (%) | Delayed (#) | Delayed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuwait Int’l (KWI) | 6 | 5% | 0 | 0% |
| Kuwait Int’l (KWI) | 10 | 8% | 0 | 0% |
Moderate cancellations without delays point to concentrated operational cutbacks rather than system-wide congestion today.
Qatar – Disruptions at Doha’s Global Hub Today
Hamad International Airport (DOH) saw:
| Airport | Cancelled (#) | Cancelled (%) | Delayed (#) | Delayed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamad Int’l (DOH) | 15 | 4% | 0 | 0% |
| Hamad Int’l (DOH) | 15 | 4% | 3 | 0% |
Doha’s airline hub had a moderate cancellation footprint; delays were minimal in percentage terms but underscore operational spillovers impacting schedules today.
Saudi Arabia – Regional Hubs Hit Hard Today
Key Saudi airports experienced both high delay and cancellation rates:
| Airport | Cancelled (#) | Cancelled (%) | Delayed (#) | Delayed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Abdulaziz Int’l (JED) | 9 | 2% | 179 | 40% |
| King Abdulaziz Int’l (JED) | 7 | 1% | 152 | 33% |
| King Fahd Int’l (DMM) | 14 | 11% | 40 | 32% |
| King Fahd Int’l (DMM) | 14 | 10% | 38 | 29% |
| King Khalid Int’l (RUH) | 21 | 5% | 81 | 20% |
| King Khalid Int’l (RUH) | 20 | 5% | 99 | 26% |
At Jeddah (JED), four in ten flights were delayed — a major operational challenge for Hajj and Umrah travel flows. Dammam (DMM) and Riyadh (RUH) reflected significant delay pressure alongside elevated cancellation percentages today.
United Arab Emirates – Disruptions Hit Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Today
Airport operations in the UAE showed widespread delays:
| Airport | Cancelled (#) | Cancelled (%) | Delayed (#) | Delayed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Int’l (AUH) | 14 | 5% | 20 | 7% |
| Abu Dhabi Int’l (AUH) | 13 | 5% | 14 | 5% |
| Dubai Int’l (DXB) | 45 | 8% | 108 | 19% |
| Dubai Int’l (DXB) | 39 | 7% | 103 | 19% |
| Sharjah Int’l (SHJ) | 6 | 5% | 21 | 18% |
Dubai’s global hub faced the highest aggregate cancellations in the UAE, with nearly 20% of flights delayed. Abu Dhabi and Sharjah also saw significant effect on schedule reliability today.
Airline Level Breakdown: Cancellations and Delays Across Asia Today
Below is a full table showing airlines affected by today’s disruptions, with both cancellation and delay totals where available:
| Airline | Cancelled (#) | Cancelled (%) | Delayed (#) | Delayed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kam Air | 2 | 11% | 2 | 11% |
| Gulf Air | 143 | 91% | 0 | 0% |
| US‑Bangla Airlines | 6 | 8% | 30 | 43% |
| Cambodia Angkor Air | 2 | 4% | 14 | 32% |
| Air China | 10 | 0% | 141 | 7% |
| Chengdu Airlines | 4 | 1% | 27 | 7% |
| China Eastern | 12 | 0% | 298 | 12% |
| China Express Airlines | 14 | 3% | 86 | 20% |
| Hainan Airlines | 5 | 0% | 23 | 2% |
| Sichuan Airlines | 2 | 0% | 92 | 13% |
| Spring Airlines | 1 | 0% | 67 | 12% |
| Tianjin Airlines | 2 | 0% | 20 | 5% |
| XiamenAir | 2 | 0% | 55 | 8% |
| Egypt Air | 29 | 10% | 68 | 24% |
| Nesma Airlines Egypt | 2 | 4% | 20 | 46% |
| Air India | 4 | 0% | 305 | 41% |
| Akasa Air | 1 | 0% | 49 | 27% |
| IndiGo | 78 | 3% | 569 | 25% |
| SpiceJet | 7 | 3% | 55 | 27% |
| Batik Air | 4 | 1% | 102 | 31% |
| All Nippon Airways | 3 | 0% | 57 | 8% |
| ANA Wings | 2 | 0% | 23 | 6% |
| Hokkaido Air System | 7 | 18% | 0 | 0% |
| Japan Air Commuter | 7 | 6% | 9 | 7% |
| Royal Jordanian | 24 | 20% | 15 | 12% |
| Kuwait Airways Corporation | 2 | 2% | 0 | 0% |
| Malaysia Airlines | 4 | 1% | 86 | 29% |
| Oman Air | 2 | 1% | 54 | 49% |
| Pakistan International Airlines | 7 | 9% | 28 | 37% |
| PAL Express | 8 | 3% | 30 | 14% |
| Qatar Airways | 6 | 0% | 6 | 0% |
| Saudia | 15 | 2% | 172 | 30% |
| Emirates | 6 | 1% | 154 | 27% |
| FlyDubai | 22 | 10% | 73 | 34% |
Key Takeaways: What This Means for Travellers
1. Gulf Carriers Were Hard Hit
Gulf Air stands out with a staggering 91% cancellation rate — an extraordinary operational scratch on scheduled service. Gulf Air’s cancellations accounted for a large share of the Region’s total.
2. Indian Carriers Shouldered Major Delays
India’s major airlines — especially IndiGo and Air India — accounted for a massive portion of today’s 1926 flight delays with IndiGo alone reporting 569 delayed flights.
3. Chinese Airlines and Delays Dominate
China Eastern accounted for nearly 300 delays, and Air China over 140 — showing that onboard scheduling issues spread well beyond the South Asian region.
4. Middle Eastern Hub Airports Slowed Down
Major hubs such as Dubai (DXB), Doha (DOH), Jeddah (JED) and Abu Dhabi (AUH) all reported notable delays and cancellations. For travellers connecting through these hubs, knock‑on effects were widespread today.
Practical Advice for Travellers Affected
- Check your flight status immediately — airlines are prioritising rebookings.
- Arrive at airports early — waiting rooms are stretched.
- Contact your airline directly — compensation policies vary by carrier and ticket type.
- Monitor weather and airport announcements — additional disruptions may follow today’s backlog.
Thousands of travellers are stranded across Asia today as 1926 flights are delayed and 496 cancelled due to weather issues, operational challenges, and crew shortages. Major airlines like Air India, ANA Wings, Qatar Airways, and Emirates are heavily affected, disrupting flights in airports such as Mumbai, Abu Dhabi, Delhi, Jeddah, Dubai, and more.
Today’s operational landscape across Asia is one of significant service stress — with almost 500 cancellations and nearly two thousand delays disrupting travel plans across multiple countries, carriers and major airports. Whether you are departing from Mumbai, Dubai, Delhi, Abu Dhabi or Jeddah, or connecting through China, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia, contingency planning has become essential for every traveller.
