Society

Kansai airport reopens major terminal

Sep 14 (NHK) - The operator of typhoon-hit Kansai International Airport in Japan says it reopened on Friday part of its main passenger facility, Terminal 1.

Terminal 2 resumed service last Friday using Runway B. The building mainly hosts operations for budget airlines. Storm surges caused by Typhoon Jebi largely spared that terminal even though most of the airport was flooded on September 4th.

But Terminal 1, which is used by a greater number of airlines, remained closed. It was without power because the electrical substation in its basement went down when hit by water.

Progress in recovery work now allows the airport's operator to reopen the terminal's South Wing on Friday.

134 flights -- 36 domestic and 98 international -- are expected to use Terminal 1 on Friday. That's 34 percent of the level at the terminal before the disaster.

These flights will use either of the airport's 2 runways as Runway A opens up for service again on Friday.

The operator says it expects to get Terminal 1 fully up and running by reopening its North Wing on Friday of next week. The firm also hopes to resume operation of the railway linking the man-made island airport to the mainland the same day.

The road-rail access bridge to the airport was heavily damaged when the typhoon swept a tanker into it. Only some untouched road lanes are currently available for use.

And in a related development, the authorities and airport operators have agreed to redirect up to 70 flights per day to nearby Osaka International Airport in Itami and Kobe Airport.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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