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Japanese Aircraft Not Allowed to Land Because of China Military Exercises

Posted on: Friday, 25 November 2005, 12:00 CST

Text of report in English by Japanese news agency Kyodo

Narita, Japan, 26 November: Japan Airline and All Nippon Airways airplanes bound for China's Xiamen were not permitted to land at an airport in the Chinese city because of military exercises, Japanese Transport Ministry said Friday [26 November].

JAL Flight 607, with 179 passengers onboard, was forced to return to Narita airport, about six hours after its departure from there, JAL officials said.

Meanwhile, ANA Flight 957, carrying 162 passengers and crew members, left Kansai International Airport in Osaka at about 10.30 a.m. but was informed by Chinese authorities that the plane would not be permitted to land.

The plane then landed at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, but was later allowed to land in Xiamen. The plane arrived there four hours later than scheduled, ministry officials said.

When runway use is limited, the authorities usually inform airline companies concerned beforehand, but the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said JAL had received no advance notice from China.

Such incidents happen several times a year, according to JAL officials. The passengers on the JAL flight will head to Xiamen on Saturday, they said.

The JAL officials said China has indicated it will not shoulder costs involved in the schedule change.

Hitoshi Takahashi, a passenger who was aboard the JAL plane said, "I thought that (China) did not tell about that military exercises were being held because of the strained Japan-China relationship."

Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific

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