Have you ever arrived just a few minutes late to your destination and had to turn back home, feeling disappointed? Well, Japan Airlines can relate to that experience. One of its planes was forced to return to the departure airport because it missed the destination airport’s final landing time – 10 pm– by a few minutes.
Over 300 passengers headed to Fukuoka had to endure a 7-hour ordeal covering over 500 miles (roughly 800 km), only to end up back where they started. According to the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, the Fukuoka airport has a restriction on landing after 10 pm to avoid noise disturbances, which JL331 missed.
On February 19, passengers boarded flight JL331 from Haneda Airport in Tokyo with the expectation of a two-hour journey to Fukuoka. However, the flight was delayed by an hour and a half due to a last-minute change of aircraft and bad weather. The carrier was originally scheduled to leave at 6.30 pm, only managing to take off at 8 pm.
Also read: Go First special fare sale — domestic flights starting at Rs 1,199, international at Rs 6,139
After about two hours of flying, the plane approached Fukuoka airport, but unfortunately, it was past the allowed landing time of 10 pm, forcing it to turn back.
The plane had to return to Tokyo, but it didn't have enough fuel for the long journey. Consequently, it had to stop at Kansai Airport around 280 miles (roughly 450 km) from Fukuoka to refuel and undergo maintenance work.
It eventually took off from Kansai Airport at 1.45 am on February 20, covering around 270 miles (roughly 400 km) before landing in Haneda at 2.50 am. Japan Airlines claims to have arranged cab fares and hotel rooms for all passengers, and they were able to reach Fukuoka on a one-off flight later that same day.
According to officials at Fukuoka International Airport Co., although flights can be allowed to land after 10 pm due to unavoidable delays, they did not consider JL331's tardiness "unavoidable." This incident highlights the importance of adhering to flight schedules, as even a few minutes of delay can have significant consequences.
Also read: DGCA proposes measures to promote mental health among flight crew, air traffic controllers
Over 300 passengers headed to Fukuoka had to endure a 7-hour ordeal covering over 500 miles (roughly 800 km), only to end up back where they started. According to the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, the Fukuoka airport has a restriction on landing after 10 pm to avoid noise disturbances, which JL331 missed.
On February 19, passengers boarded flight JL331 from Haneda Airport in Tokyo with the expectation of a two-hour journey to Fukuoka. However, the flight was delayed by an hour and a half due to a last-minute change of aircraft and bad weather. The carrier was originally scheduled to leave at 6.30 pm, only managing to take off at 8 pm.
Also read: Go First special fare sale — domestic flights starting at Rs 1,199, international at Rs 6,139
After about two hours of flying, the plane approached Fukuoka airport, but unfortunately, it was past the allowed landing time of 10 pm, forcing it to turn back.
The plane had to return to Tokyo, but it didn't have enough fuel for the long journey. Consequently, it had to stop at Kansai Airport around 280 miles (roughly 450 km) from Fukuoka to refuel and undergo maintenance work.
It eventually took off from Kansai Airport at 1.45 am on February 20, covering around 270 miles (roughly 400 km) before landing in Haneda at 2.50 am. Japan Airlines claims to have arranged cab fares and hotel rooms for all passengers, and they were able to reach Fukuoka on a one-off flight later that same day.
According to officials at Fukuoka International Airport Co., although flights can be allowed to land after 10 pm due to unavoidable delays, they did not consider JL331's tardiness "unavoidable." This incident highlights the importance of adhering to flight schedules, as even a few minutes of delay can have significant consequences.
Also read: DGCA proposes measures to promote mental health among flight crew, air traffic controllers
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