Asia Flight Disruptions: Saudi Shutdowns and Haze Hit Major Hubs

A month of cascading disruption

Air travel across Asia has been disrupted almost every day through October 2026. Daily counts from flight trackers regularly reached several thousand delays and several hundred cancellations. The figures now being quoted most often come from a FlightAware snapshot taken on October 20, which recorded 5,414 delays and 472 cancellations at airports in China, Indonesia, India, Japan, Thailand and the Gulf.15 That was not the worst day. On October 9, trackers counted 671 cancellations and 3,479 delays on a network running from Istanbul to Jakarta.18 On October 14, they logged 736 cancellations and 3,448 delays across 26 hubs.8 Late September was already rough: one roundup of that period reported 6,108 delays and 591 cancellations.15

The totals hide an important point. October's disruption comes from two separate problems that happen to overlap. One is a security shock in Saudi Arabia, which has caused outright cancellations. The other is a long-running mix of weather, smoke and congestion, which has mostly produced delays. Travellers, and the people writing about them, need to keep the two apart.

The Saudi shock: where cancellations come from

Almost every report agrees that the cancellations are centred on Saudi Arabia. Reports say an October 8 attack at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport caused the flag carrier Saudia to cancel 10 percent of its flights and delay 37 percent on the following day.18 The next wave came on October 18–19, after drone and missile strikes attributed to Yemen's Houthi rebels led to airspace closures and ground stops. Riyadh alone recorded 225 cancellations, about 35 percent of inbound flights.3

The problem has dragged on because flying into Saudi Arabia now requires extra paperwork. Coverage says airlines need special operating authorisation from Saudi aviation authorities. Air India, Lufthansa and Etihad have cut back or suspended Riyadh flights into November.32 On October 20, 89.6 percent of Riyadh's disrupted flights were cancellations, which reflects suppressed operations more than ordinary delay.5 Suspensions keep getting longer. One running tracker lists Lufthansa off until November 18, Philippine Airlines until November 29, Scoot until December 2 and Cathay Pacific until January 31. Delta has pushed its return to March 2027.36

The effects are heaviest on the India–Saudi route. IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India all stopped passenger flights to Saudi Arabia, at first until at least October 17.8 A later report said Indian carriers had suspended service through October 24.18 Kochi airport confirmed cancellations on Kerala–Saudi routes and on some Doha and Ras Al Khaimah services.2 Airlines based in the region took the heaviest losses in percentage terms. On October 14, the new carrier Riyadh Air cancelled 61 percent of its flights and Saudia cancelled 170.8

Haze, monsoon and congestion: where delays come from

Further east, a different set of causes is at work. Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation said smoke from forest fires had affected 2,604 domestic flights between August 11 and October 19. That total included 1,129 delays, 1,420 cancellations or postponements, 23 diversions and six flights that turned back.1 On one day, Palangka Raya's Tjilik Riwut airport cancelled half its departures because smoke cut visibility below safe limits.33 Thailand issued a severe-weather warning for October 21–25, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi recorded 264 delays as storms arrived.5 Earlier in the month, monsoon squalls in Vietnam and limited parking space at Indonesian airports caused more than 2,700 delays across 21 hubs.7

The crisis looks very different in East Asia. Tokyo Haneda logged 284 delays on October 20 but cancelled almost nothing, a rate of 0.3 percent.5 Incheon recorded 520 delays during the October 18–19 disruption and only four cancellations.3 This pattern suggests the Gulf shock reaches East Asia mainly through aircraft that arrive late from earlier legs, not through grounded flights. One analysis gives an example: an aircraft held for hours on the ground in Riyadh can push a Dubai crew past its legal duty limits, and the delays then spread down the line all the way to Sydney.18 Another notes that budget airlines turn narrowbody jets around in 30 to 45 minutes and fly five to seven legs a day, so an early delay often leads to evening flights being cancelled once crews run out of hours.33 That is analysis, not proven cause, but it fits the figures. VietJet was delayed on 43 percent of its flights while cancelling almost none.5 Malindo Air was delayed on 52 percent.33

A caution on how these numbers are framed. The roundups define "Asia" broadly enough to include Dubai, Riyadh, Istanbul and Tel Aviv.29 As a result, the large regional totals combine a Gulf war-risk story with routine delays at hubs in China and Southeast Asia. The headline figures are accurate snapshots. They do not measure one single crisis.

Strikes: mostly a European risk this autumn

Asia has avoided the labour unrest that is hitting European airlines. The biggest Asian risk, a Korean Air pilot strike, was called off on October 7. The union withdrew its mediation request, and talks are scheduled to run until October 27, with the contentious question of seniority after the Asiana merger set aside for now.39 The dispute has been postponed, not settled.

Many long-haul trips to Asia connect through Europe, so European strikes still matter. Five French pilot and cabin-crew unions had called a strike from October 17 to 21 covering Air France and Transavia, over a pension reform. The notice was suspended on October 9.3134 In Italy, easyJet cabin crew held a 24-hour strike on October 16. Five unions filed a separate notice for October 17, and a national general strike is set for October 30.36 Portuguese easyJet crew planned walkouts from October 2 to 6 and again from December 19 to 23, with about 500 flights at risk in the first round.35 Travellers going to Asia via Paris or other European cities should keep checking for new strike notices.

Security queues: the lines are not the problem

Airport security lines have not been the main source of trouble at Asia's major hubs. Queue trackers estimated waits of about seven minutes at Singapore Changi, with peaks above 11 minutes.11 Haneda was at roughly seven to 11 minutes.20 Hanoi's Noi Bai was near seven minutes for both security and immigration.17 These are modelled estimates, not official figures, and most trackers still advise arriving 150 minutes before international departures.1120 The real waiting has happened after security: missed connections, long holds at the gate, and backlogs for rebooking.1214 Europe is different. A 24-hour strike by security screeners at Venice Marco Polo on October 16 caused long queues even for flights that were operating.36

Refunds: what passengers can claim

What passengers are owed depends on who is responsible for the disruption. Most passenger-rights guidance treats haze and monsoon delays as extraordinary circumstances. That means no cash compensation, but airlines must still provide meals, hotels and rebooking. Delays caused by crew running out of hours or by maintenance may support a claim.33 Airline-imposed security suspensions are close to the line, and passengers should expect airlines to argue the disruption was beyond their control.

In most systems, a refund is a separate question from compensation. In India, rules from the aviation regulator DGCA require credit-card refunds within seven working days. They also allow refunds for delays of more than six hours and compensation of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 for cancellations.28 Chinese rules classify cancellation, delay, route changes and downgrades as "involuntary" refunds, and airlines must publish their conditions.25 AirAsia offers a full refund or credit if it cancels a flight or moves it by more than three hours.24 Singapore Airlines and Scoot also offer rebooking or a refund when they cancel.29 Guides generally say passengers can insist on cash to their original payment method instead of a voucher.21 US rules require a full refund when a cancelled flight's passenger declines the alternative offered.21 EU261 compensation of up to €600 applies to strikes by an airline's own staff. Whether it applies to the French dispute, which is with the government rather than the airlines, has been contested.3638

Visa rules: tighter in Thailand, looser elsewhere

Entry rules are changing alongside the flight disruption. On September 15, Thailand ended its 60-day visa exemption for 93 nationalities. It replaced it with a 30-day, tourism-only exemption for 60 countries and territories. Visa on arrival now covers only Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.42 Visa-free travellers can now enter by land only twice a year, though nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are exempt from that limit.45 India moved from visa on arrival to the 30-day exemption. The online Thailand Digital Arrival Card is still mandatory and free.42 Some travel guides still describe the old 60-day rule, so travellers should check official sources.48

The rest of the region is moving the other way. Since August 20, China's 240-hour visa-free transit covers 57 countries.41 Sri Lanka now offers a free 30-day tourist electronic travel authorisation to 40 nationalities, and South Korea has extended its K-ETA exemption through December 31.41

The takeaway

In short, there are two separate problems this autumn. Travel through the Gulf, and Saudi Arabia in particular, carries a real risk of cancellation that is likely to last for months. Travel within Asia is mostly a story of delays, driven by haze, storms and tight airline schedules. Travellers should book with a lot of buffer time, keep written records of every disruption, and check entry rules again shortly before departure.