Hundreds of Flights Canceled at Tokyo Airports as Region Faces Heavy Snow

More than 100 flights from Haneda Airport (HND) in Tokyo were canceled on February 5 amid severe winter weather across the Greater Tokyo Area. Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) initially canceled 46 and 30 flights to and from HND, respectively. Local media later reported eight additional cancellations by JAL and four by ANA.

 

JAL's 54 flight cancellations affected 6,150 passengers, with one canceled international flight to Seoul affecting 200 passengers. Meanwhile, ANA's 34 cancellations impacted the travel plans for 5,170 passengers. Other airports affected by the disruptions included Akita (AXT) and Hiroshima (HIJ).

 

Haneda Airport normally handles 490 direct flights to 49 Japanese airports. Roughly 60 percent of all domestic travelers use Haneda Airport. Tokyo workers were sent home early on Monday as rail transport was also expected to be affected. Two automated trains on the Yurikamome line stopped between stations, requiring 550 passengers to walk to the next stop.

 

Tokyo Electric Power Co. reported more than 14,000 homes had lost power in Tokyo and five nearby prefectures. According to NHK public television, up to 40 people sustained minor injuries related to slipping or falling in the snowy conditions. The Japan Meteorological Agency had called for up to 55 centimeters (21 inches) of snow in the mountain regions north of Tokyo and 8 centimeters (3.15 inches) or more in the capital city. Though the snowfall in central Tokyo was much lighter than expected, the accumulated 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) was the most snowfall recorded downtown in two years. 

 

Tokyo is situated in the Kantō region on the eastern side of Honshu Island. Kantō is home to more than 44 million residents, including Yokohama and Tokyo Bay. The capital city experiences snow only a few days of the year. Still, even the lightest snow causes weather-related disruptions to businesses and transportation partly due to its massive population density.

 

Japan Air Lines warned its customers by posting on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, about the possibility of disruption on February 5. The following day, the airline announced they expected no additional delays or cancellations due to weather.