Record Rainfall in Japan Disrupts 28 Flights Between Hong Kong and Tokyo's Narita Airport
Thestandard · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Twenty-eight flights between Hong Kong and Tokyo's Narita Airport were delayed over two days after record rainfall hit Japan's Chiba Prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its highest-level heavy rain emergency warning for at least 16 cities and areas in the prefecture, including Chiba City. Road, rail and bus services connecting Narita International Airport were also disrupted, leaving more than 7,000 passengers stranded at the airport.
Key Points
- Twenty-eight flights between Hong Kong and Narita Airport experienced delays, with 19 flights delayed on Thursday August 13 and nine flights delayed on Friday August 14 as of 10am .
- Chiba Prefecture recorded 347mm of rainfall, nearly three times its average rainfall for the entire month of August .
- The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its highest-level heavy rain emergency warning for at least 16 cities and areas in Chiba Prefecture, including Chiba City .
- More than 7,000 passengers were stranded at Narita International Airport due to disrupted road, rail and bus services connecting to the airport .
- Cathay Pacific has waived rebooking and ticket-change fees for flights to and from Narita Airport affected by the severe weather, with changes allowed until August 16 for tickets issued on or before August 14, and journeys to be completed by September 30 .
Why It Matters
The severe weather disruption highlights the vulnerability of air travel connectivity between Hong Kong and Japan, one of the busiest routes for Hong Kong travellers. With thousands stranded and transportation links severed, the incident underscores the importance of airline flexibility policies during natural disasters .
The severe weather disruption highlights the vulnerability of air travel connectivity between Hong Kong and Japan, one of the busiest routes for Hong Kong travellers. With thousands stranded and transportation links severed, the incident underscores the importance of airline flexibility policies during natural disasters .