A Japan Airlines plane was forced to return to Tokyo this week after being refused at a regional airport for arriving 10 minutes after the cut-off time.
Flight JAL 331 left Tokyo’s Haneda Airport at 8 p.m. on February 19 – over an hour after its planned departure.
The plane, which was expected at 8:30 p.m., did not arrive at Fukuoka until around 10:10 p.m.
But because Fukuoka Airport enforces a strict 10 p.m. cut-off time, JAL 331 was not cleared to land and was forced to make a nearly 5-hour journey back to Tokyo.
Fukuoka’s curfew is intended to curb noise pollution. JAL 331 also had to stop at Osaka’s Kansai Airport to refuel, adding to passengers’ and crew members’ misfortune.
According to Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, there were reportedly 335 passengers on the Japan Airlines plane.
Japan Airlines arranged for the passengers to stay in a hotel after they returned to Tokyo. The passengers boarded a flight the next morning and eventually landed at Fukuoka Airport on Monday.
Fukuoka and Tokyo are located on opposite sides of Japan. The cities are over 550 miles apart.
It is unknown why JAL 331 departed from Tokyo late on Sunday evening. According to Asahi Shimbun, officials say that planes that land late due to “unavoidable” circumstances, such as stormy weather or congestion, are usually allowed to land past 10 p.m.
A passenger aboard a flight from New York City to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is being credited with saving a fellow passenger’s life after she experienced a medical emergency.
The routine JetBlue flight from LaGuardia Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport took a terrifying turn when a woman suddenly fainted in the aisle as the crew was handing out drinks.
A passenger on the plane said the woman collapsed about an hour into the flight and the pilot was preparing to make an emergency landing when a man stepped up to help the ailing woman.
Photos obtained by Simon Gifter and shared with Fox News Digital show a man wearing blue gloves assisting a woman lying on the floor of the plane. The woman can be seen with an oxygen mask on her face.
The man can be seen rendering aid as other concerned passengers gather around.
The passenger who took the photos said the man was a trained Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and was able to get the woman stabilized, so the flight could continue to its destination.
The woman was said to be conscious and talking when the plane landed. An ambulance reportedly met the plane after it landed, and emergency personnel boarded the flight to take the woman off first.
According to FlightAware, the plane landed one hour and 35 minutes late.
Fox News Digital reached out to JetBlue for more information on the incident but has not yet heard back.
The world’s first flight officially took off from North Carolina’s Outer Banks on this day in history, Dec. 17, 1903.
The Wright brothers were allegedly the first to successfully fly a powered and controlled airplane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, after years of experimenting with the concept of flight.
Brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright began testing out flying in 1899, while Samuel Langley of the Smithsonian did the same, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
Langley’s attempts were underwritten by the War Department yet were unsuccessful, since his efforts relied on the brute power of the machines to keep suspended in air.
But the Wrights’ vision that humans would have to oversee operating the planes themselves solved the issue, NPS recorded.
The duo developed a concept called “wing warping,” according to History.com.
That concept emulated the angle of bird wings.
Wilbur Wright famously said, “It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.”
The brothers took more than 1,000 glides from the top of Big Kill Devil Hill, which made the Wrights the first true pilots, NPS said.
As their flying skills and mastery of the air were crucial for their invention to function, the brothers soon solved the problem of a sustained lift through more experimentation.
Now that they were able to control the aircraft while in flight, the brothers felt ready to take it to the skies.
The next obstacle was figuring out how to power the plane, according to NPS.
While gasoline engine technology had recently advanced during this time, the Wrights designed their own engine that was lightweight and suitable for their flyer.
The next obstacle was figuring out how to power the plane, according to NPS.
While gasoline engine technology had recently advanced during this time, the Wrights designed their own engine that was lightweight and suitable for their flyer.
NPS considered this “one of their most original and purely scientific achievements.”
The duo returned to their camp in Kill Devil Hills where they mounted their engine on the new 40-foot, 605-pound plane with double tails and elevators.
The first attempt to fly on Dec. 14, 1903, was a failure — resulting in Wilbur Wright nose-diving into the sand after climbing too steeply on takeoff.
After three days of making repairs to the aircraft, the brothers were ready for attempt no. 2 on Dec. 17.
Wilbur Wright won the opportunity to fly first in a coin toss — so it was little brother Orville Wright’s turn to give it a go.
Even though the 27mph winds weren’t ideal, the pair signaled the volunteers from a nearby lifesaving station that they were about to try again.
Orville Wright hopped in and tested the controls, including the cradle that he swung with his hips, which warped the wings and turned the machine, and a lever that controlled gas flow.
Orville Wright knew it would take “all his finesse” to handle the new, improved and altogether heavy machinery, the NPS noted.
Orville Wright released the restraining wire at 10:35 a.m. as he moved down the rail and left the ground.
Lifesaving station employee John Daniels snapped the iconic photo of the Wright plane taking off on a preset camera.
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Wilbur Wright is seen running alongside as his brother takes the first flight.
With a lot of attention on the controls, Orville Wright kept the plane in flight until it hit the sand 120 feet away from the rail.
The brothers took turns flying the plane three more times that same day to get used to the controls.
Each time they took off, their distance would increase little by little, until Wilbur Wright finally reached 852 feet in 59 seconds on his last attempt.
The Wrights’ machine had successfully flown, but it would never fly again, according to NPS.
After Wilbur’s final flight, the plane caught a gust of wind, rolled over and suffered irreparable damage.
But the brothers still triumphed the win and sent their father, Bishop Milton Wright, a telegram reporting their historic achievement.
Two years later, according to History.com, the Wright brothers built and flew the first fully practical airplane.
A flight attendant suffered a heart attack mid-air and died while working on a flight from Bahrain to Paris last week.
Gulf Air flight attendant Yasser Saleh Al Yazidi was part of the cabin crew on flight GF 19, which left Bahrain at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday.
Tragically, about an hour and a half into the flight, the attendant had a heart attack as the plane flew over Iraq, at an altitude of about 34,000 feet, according to the Daily Mail.
The flight made an emergency landing in the Iraqi city of Erbil so Yasser could receive medical attention.
The plane was met with a medical team on the ground who transported the fallen cabin member to a nearby hospital.
He was pronounced dead on arrival.
The flight was grounded for about four hours at Erbil international airport before passengers were able to continue on their trip to Paris.
A statement released by Gulf Air read: “The national carrier expresses its deepest condolences to the crew member’s family and loved ones, and confirms that the flight resumed to Paris as scheduled.”
“Gulf Air reassures that the safety of its passengers and crew comes at the top of its priorities, and thanks the affected flight’s passengers for their patience and understanding,” the statement continued.
While cabin crews are typical trained to administer basic first aid, most commercial flights are not equipped with specialized medical equipment, meaning planes must make an emergency landing when serious medical issues arise during a flight.
In October, a woman aboard a flight from Houston to London similarly suffered from a heart attack while up in the sky.
That woman reportedly went into cardiac arrest in front of several other passengers, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Several major US air carriers caved to public pressure by confirming they will pay for meals and lodging to passengers who endure delays or cancellations ahead of the potentially chaotic Labor Day travel weekend.
The move by the carriers comes after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg demanded airline CEOs provide free meals and hotel rooms for lengthy delays “at a minimum” due a period of widespread flight disruptions and cancellations.
Most US airlines already offered meal vouchers or complimentary lodging to passengers in the event of delays, but the benefits were not explicitly detailed in plans on their website or other public-facing areas.
As a result, some customers had to be aware in advance about the existence of the vouchers in order to take advantage of the benefit.
“For cancellations or delays within our control, like mechanical issues, that result in your waiting for more than three hours, we’ll give you a digital or printed meal voucher,” United said in a customer commitment plan that took effect on Tuesday.
“This voucher can be used for the reasonable cost of a meal at airport food vendors. If you don’t automatically get one, just ask us.”
JetBlue noted that passengers stuck waiting 3 hours or more due to “controllable cancellations” will receive meal vouchers of $12 and hotel accommodations for overnight cancellations.
Southwest’s customer service plan includes similar language, though it notes in bold that the free meal vouchers and lodging apply to flight delays or cancellations “within our control.”
The Post has reached out to the airlines for comment on the updated customer service policies.
“US airlines are committed to offering a high level of customer service and providing a positive and safe flight experience for all passengers,” Airlines for America, a trade group representing major carriers, said in a statement.
“Carriers continue to post their customer service plans on their websites and welcome opportunities to simplify, clarify and increase transparency for travelers,” the statement added.
In letters to major US airline CEOs earlier this month, Buttigieg referred to ongoing travel chaos and flight disruptions as “unacceptable” ahead of the Labor Day holiday. The letters also demanded that airlines update their customer service plans to reflect assistance available to impacted travelers.
Buttigieg said the Department of Transportation was “contemplating” more regulations that would “further expand the rights of airline passengers.”
“As you know, these aren’t just numbers, these are missed birthday parties, graduations, time with loved ones and important meetings,” Buttigieg said.
Airlines have been struggling to meet surging travel demand this year while contending with labor shortages and supply chain issues. Mishandled baggage complaints and flight delays have spiked during the tumultuous period.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.