Airlines
Japan Airlines arranges extra flights for sumo wrestlers due to weight concerns
Japan Airlines had to make an unexpected change to its flight schedule after discovering that two of its aircraft were approaching their weight limits. This was not due to an abundance of luggage, but rather to a passenger list that included some of Japan’s heaviest citizens.
A group of sumo wrestlers had to take an additional trip because Japan Airlines was worried that the extra weight of the passengers could have had an impact on safety.
According to the report, they were traveling to attend a sporting event. When staff discovered that sumo wrestlers were on the passenger lists late on Thursday and that their estimated average weight was 120 kg, considerably over the 70 kg average, there was concern over fuel capacity.
However, when airline employees learned how many wrestlers were booked on each journey, they made plans to transport some of the athletes on a separate jet. Instead, a second flight was organized to transport 27 of the wrestlers, and 14 of them flew from Osaka to Tokyo to catch it. Additional planes were also scheduled to transport the athletes home after the competition.
