Japan Airlines is facing a tight widebody fleet following a ground collision incident in New York, prompting lengthy delays and cancellations for many of its long-haul flights to Europe and North America.
On Dec. 14, 2025, a parked Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000, JA10WJ, was struck by a Hi Fly (Malta) Airbus A330-200, 9H-ALC. The Hi Fly aircraft struck the A350 with its right wing, causing damage to cockpit windows and the surrounding area.
“Our aircraft sustained damage to the cockpit windows and other areas, requiring maintenance work on the affected parts. Accordingly, the aircraft cannot be used for flight operations until the necessary maintenance has been completed,” the airline said in a statement.
The Japan Airlines aircraft needs repairs, meaning that the airline does not have enough widebody aircraft to run its operations on time.
Starting Dec. 19, the delays involve the following flights:
Some delays are as short as 1 hour and 20 minutes, while the longest delays reach up to 16 hours.
The airline will also begin cancelling flights on Dec. 23:
Additionally, passengers onboard flights JL11 and JL12 on Dec. 25, 27, and 29th will have an aircraft swap to a Boeing 777-300ER.
The airline notes that information regarding delays and cancellations for flights on dates after Jan. 1 will be provided later.
Japan Airlines currently holds 10 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, which have been replacing its aging Boeing 777 fleet. The airline is expecting its 11th delivery of the aircraft type by the end of March 2026 (end of FY2025). However, there have been no sightings of the next aircraft, JA11WJ/MSN 756, with three months to go.
The carrier has a total of 13 A350-1000s on order and has already retired four Boeing 777-300ERs as it has received its deliveries.
It is perhaps eye-opening to see damage to one aircraft causing disruptions to this extent, showing how Japan Airlines has been flying a tight widebody operation with no wiggle room for disruptions.
The aircraft damage comes at a critical time for Japan Airlines, hitting right at the heart of peak holiday travel.
There is currently no timeline for the JA11WJ’s repairs. The airline will announce further delays and cancellations for flights in January at a later time.
Featured image by the author.
