Airlines
Japanese flight with over 300 passengers sent back to starting point after 7-hour nightmare
A domestic flight in Japan that just missed a curfew and was then sent on a roundabout journey back to its originating point evolved into a seven-hour experience for more than 300 passengers.
JL331 of Japan Airlines Co. was scheduled to depart Tokyo’s Haneda Airport at 6:30 p.m. local time on Sunday for the two-hour journey to Fukuoka. Nevertheless, a last-minute plane switch caused a 90-minute delay in takeoff, and as the plane approached Fukuoka, it became clear that it would just miss the airport’s 10 p.m. commercial plane cutoff time, contrary to earlier expectations that it would land with 4 minutes to spare, the airline said in a statement.
Several flights headed for the city had already experienced delays due to the morning’s strong winds at Haneda. A few late-running aircraft were permitted to land after the curfew, but JL331 was denied permission.
The lengthy trip back to Tokyo then started. JAL reported that an original proposal to divert the flight to the adjacent city of Kitakyushu was abandoned because there weren’t enough buses to transport the 335 passengers. Instead, pilots were diverted to Kansai International Airport near Osaka, about 280 miles (450 kilometres) from their original destination, where they landed at 10:59 p.m.
Unlucky JL331 passenger tweeted a picture of the flight’s path, showing the aircraft doing a significant U-turn close to Fukuoka.
JAL331 ダイバート
羽田発→福岡行
これ羽田着いた後ホテル用意してくれるんかな？ pic.twitter.com/KRwKTEpzko
— うぱ?? (@pococha_upa) February 19, 2023
The airline said it provided lodging and transportation expenses as compensation for the travellers. To make up for its customers’ unfortunate travel experiences, it also provided a cash payment and a replacement flight.
