A Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) to Fukuoka Airport (FUK) had to divert twice when the flight missed Fukuoka’s airport curfew by minutes.
Flight JL331 was scheduled to depart Tokyo at 18:30 local time on February 19, 2023, and arrive in Fukuoka at 20:30, with time to spare before Fukuoka airport closes at 22:00.
However, bad weather in Tokyo caused JL331 to depart a little more than two hours later, at 20:18.
At around 21:58, two minutes before Fukuoka Airport closed, JL331, operated by an Airbus A350, was informed by the airport that the flight would not be able to land due to the airport curfew.
At this point, the flight decided to divert 45 kilometers south and land at Osaka’s Kansai Airport (KIX), which was not subject to a curfew.
The flight landed safely at KIX airport at around 22:56 local time.
When the plane landed in Osaka, the aircraft underwent maintenance checks and refueling. The crew was also replaced.
The airline then decided to return to Tokyo, the flight’s point of origin. The flight departed Osaka at 01:55 local time and arrived in Tokyo at 02:44 local time.
The passengers, who spent more than eight hours flying just to return to their starting point, were given hotel and meal vouchers. They were rebooked onto other flights to Fukuoka the following day, February 20, 2023.