Tourists Stranded in Japan as Typhoon Nari Grounds Over 800 Flights at Haneda, Narita, Kansai, Disrupting ANA, Korean, Air China, United, Qantas, Malaysia Airlines and More

Stranded tourists across the country were gripped by travel mayhem after Typhoon Nari hit, which led to the disruption of around 800 flights and services at major airports such as Haneda, Narita, and Kansai. The powerful storm dropped strong gusts, heavy rains and hazardous weather, causing airlines such as ANA, Korean Air, Air China, United, Qantas, Malaysia Airlines and a host of others to disruption flights. Thousands of domestic and international travelers were stranded in terminals trying to get updates and rebook as Japan faced its biggest typhoon-related air traffic disruption in years.

Thousands of tourists are stranded throughout the country amid chaos caused by Typhoon Nari as it rips through Japan. The storm, which struck near Cape Erimo on Hokkaido’s southern coast, came with strong winds, heavy rains and landslide warnings. As it moved along Japan’s eastern coast and then on toward the Sea of Okhotsk, the airline said it had caused numerous delays to flights at the largest Japanese airports. At least 800 flights were impacted nationwide, based on available data, so ANA, Korean Air, Air China, United, Qantas and Malaysia Airlines, among others.

The disruption spread to the big transportation hubs of Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports, Kansai airport, New Chitose airport near Sapporo, Fukuoka airport, Chubu Centrair airport serving Nagoya, Hiroshima airport and Okayama airport, with crowded airports turned, at least temporarily, into living rooms of angry travelers.

Tokyo Haneda International Airport: 412 Flights Affected

Tokyo Haneda, one of the busiest airports in Asia, bore the brunt of the storm’s disruption. A total of 411 flights were delayed, and 1 was canceled.

Airlines hit hardest included:

• ANA Wings: 39 delays (40%)
• All Nippon Airways: 124 delays (32%)
• Japan Airlines: 128 delays (28%)
• Solaseed Air: 43 delays (41%)
• StarFlyer: 17 delays (30%)

International operators such as Qantas, United, Air China, American Airlines and Philippine Airlines also reported delays, though most of the flights managed to take off with only minor delays. Gusts of 78 miles per hour (126 kilometers per hour) along with driving rain in the Kanto region caused air traffic control slowdowns and ripple effects across domestic and international schedules.

Narita International Airport: 140 Flights Delayed

Narita Airport, serving as Japan’s gateway for long-haul and transcontinental flights, experienced 140 flight delays due to Typhoon Nari. Unlike Haneda, no cancellations were reported.

Airlines affected included:

• Jetstar Japan: 20 delays (29%)
• China Eastern Airlines: 8 delays (57%)
• China Airlines: 5 delays (41%)
• Air China: 7 delays (30%)
• Japan Airlines: 6 delays (10%)

XiamenAir, Juneyao Airlines and Eastarjet in particular posted extremely high proportions of delayed flights, while others such as Air Canada, Vietnam Airlines and Korean Air suffered from high levels of disruption.

Both inbound and outbound flights experienced service disruptions, leaving tourists heading to and from Asia, North America and Australia stranded. The storm was less than 250 km from Tokyo, so operations on the ground were delayed, and airport transportation services such as buses and trains also saw disruptions.

Kansai International Airport: 111 Delays

Kansai International Airport, a major facility serving the Osaka area, reported 111 disrupted flights. While it escaped wholesale cancellations, domestic travel and regional international flights were heavily curtailed as a result of the knock on effect of delayed arrivals and departures.

Airlines impacted:

• Peach Aviation: 14 delays (17%)
• Air China: 5 delays (33%)
• Korean Air: 4 delays (40%)
• Jetstar: 2 delays (66%)
• StarFlyer: 4 delays (50%)

The typhoon changed its course north, causing peripheral winds and rain in Kansai, which in turn caused boarding times and time on the runway to be extended. Services to Southeast Asia, China and Australia bore the brunt of the delays after operators held off on departures due to shifting weather advisories.

Fukuoka Airport: 80 Flights Delayed

In southern Japan, Fukuoka Airport experienced 80 flight delays, primarily affecting regional and domestic travel. ANA, All Nippon, and Japan Airlines bore the largest operational impact.

Airline disruption breakdown:

• All Nippon Airways: 15 delays (33%)
• ANA Wings: 10 delays (21%)
• Japan Airlines: 19 delays (22%)
• EVA Air and Shanghai Airlines: 50% of their services delayed

While Fukuoka was not directly in the storm’s trajectory, it suffered from system-wide delays as planes were reassigned and flights diverted to Tokyo and Osaka. Ground crews slowed their work due to low visibility and heavy showers, which caused congestion in the terminals.

Chubu Centrair International Airport: 33 Delays

In Nagoya in Chubu Centrair, there were just 33 flight delays. This was below that at larger airports, but the effect in percentage terms on certain airlines was large.

Impacted carriers:

• Fuji Dream Airlines: 3 delays (50%)
• Jetstar Japan: 3 delays (37%)
• Solaseed Air: 4 delays (20%)
• Jin Air: 2 delays (33%)

The airport, on Japan’s Pacific coast, was prone to high-speed gusts that caused delayed turnaround times. Sapporo, Tokyo and Fukuoka flights were the most disrupted, affecting passengers traveling through regional connections in Japan.

New Chitose Airport (Hokkaido): 73 Flights Affected

Hokkaido’s busiest airport, New Chitose Airport, near Sapporo, reported 72 delays and 1 cancellation, which were impactful numbers for the airport. This area was hit particularly hard as Typhoon Nari brought a direct hit to Hokkaido.

Flight impact highlights:

• All Nippon Airways: 11 delays (20%)
• Air Do: 9 delays (16%)
• Peach Aviation: 10 delays (27%)
• Japan Airlines: 13 delays (14%)

Both Spring Airlines and Tigerair saw 100% of the flights scheduled disrupted. The region experienced over 120mm of rainfall and airport operations were forced to disrupt due to the height of the storm. And tourists visiting Hokkaido’s summer festivals and bounteous scenic routes were stranded, many having to find emergency lodging as their flights were disrupted.

Hiroshima Airport: 14 Delays

As went Hiroshima Airport, which services fewer travelers, 14 so far, all domestic flights affected: Take off and landing of airplanes were affected by a strong wind and continuing rain.

Breakdown:

• All Nippon Airways: 6 delays (35%)
• Japan Airlines: 5 delays (31%)
• ANA Wings: 2 delays (50%)

The airport was still functional, but departures were delayed and connecting passengers were getting screwed up. The domino effect of Haneda and Kansai’s backlog trickled down to this quieter terminal, due to Hiroshima’s strong regional ties to Tokyo and Osaka.

Okayama Airport: 6 Delays

Of the affected list of airports, the small Okayama Airport had 6 flight delays. Though not in any great amount, the percentage of delays were significant per scheduled flight.

Notable delays:

• All Nippon Airways: 4 delays (40%)
• Japan Airlines: 1 delay (20%)

Typhoon Nari’s Widespread Impact on Japan’s Airports

There was a nationwide aviation chaos due to Typhoon Nari which kept flights grounded and passengers stranded across Japan. Airports including the major ones of Haneda, Narita, Kansai, as well as regional ones such as Chitose and Fukuoka faced long delays and operational hiccups. The information to follow is a summary of stuck-at-the-airport scenario at each impacted airport, which illustrates the scope of the storm’s disruption to travel at home and abroad.

• Tokyo Haneda Airport
  • Delays: 411
  • Cancellations: 1
• Narita International Airport
  • Delays: 140
  • Cancellations: 0
• Kansai International Airport
  • Delays: 111
  • Cancellations: 0
• Fukuoka Airport
  • Delays: 80
  • Cancellations: 0
• Chubu Centrair International Airport
  • Delays: 33
  • Cancellations: 0
• New Chitose Airport (Hokkaido)
  • Delays: 72
  • Cancellations: 1
• Hiroshima Airport
  • Delays: 14
  • Cancellations: 0
• Okayama Airport
  • Delays: 6
  • Cancellations: 0

Local travelers felt the brunt of the stripped options for rebooking or rerouting, as Okayama doesn’t host the airline volume of Japan’s larger hubs. Still, its presence in the outer area of influence of the storm is an indication of how far-reaching the effects of Typhoon Nari have been.

Airline-Wise Breakdown of Delays and Cancellations Caused by Typhoon Nari Across Japan

Storm Overview and Forecast

Typhoon Nari became extratropical by 9 a.m. EDT Turbulent Weather, with concentrations over the Sea of Okhotsk. But it had some follow-up influence as Kanto-Koshin saw up to 200 mm of rain, Hokkaido was hit by up to 120 mm and Tohoku 80 mm.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said rough seas, lingering winds and continued rain could delay more flights through Wednesday. Over the next few days, officials are working to return to normal schedules, but passengers are encouraged to check airline advisories and rebooking information.

More than 800 flights, disrupted, at the major airports across Japan were delayed. Typhoon Nari has yet again revealed the weak part of air travel this time of year. The disruption was national in scope, from Tokyo Haneda to New Chitose in Hokkaido. Tourists — many of them there for summer travel and festivals — were left stranded in terminals, waiting for rebookings and emergency lodging.

Airlines affected including ANA, All Nippon Airways, Korean Air, Air China, United, Qantas and Malaysia Airlines, struggled to recover. And as Japan experiences more typhoons, due to higher levels of warming in the waters around it, that in and of itself could prompt adjustments to aviation systems: quicker recovery processes, more widespread rebooking capabilities, more efficient responses when international visitors are stranded.

Gale-force winds and heavy rain battered the Kanto region, bringing the majority of domestic flights in and out of Tokyo to a halt at Haneda, Narita, and Kansai airports. Typhoon Nari brought widespread travel chaos across Japan as more than 800 flights across the country were disrupted. They shut down major airlines such as ANA, Korean, Air China and others, leading to thousands of tourists getting stuck.

For now, it’s all grounded travelers and tourists in Japan can do — watch the skies and departure boards for any sense of a reprieve.