Society

Japan’s JAL, ANA cancel all flights to and from Europe on Thursday

Mar 03 (Reuters) - Japan Airlines Co Ltd and ANA Holdings Inc said they would cancel all flights to and from Europe on Thursday, citing concerns about safety due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The airlines, which normally use Russian airspace for their Europe flights, join a growing number of carriers that have cancelled or rerouted flights between Europe and north Asia in the wake of the crisis.

“We are continuously monitoring the situation, but given the present situation in Ukraine and the different risks, we have decided to cancel flights,” a JAL spokesperson told Reuters.

ANA Cargo’s website said the suspension of flights was due to the “high possibility of its operations not being able to overfly Russia due to the current Ukraine situation.”

Airlines from the European Union and Canada have been banned from Russian airspace in response to their curbs on Russian airlines, but Japan has not made a similar announcement to date.

ANA and JAL operate about 60 flights per week through Russian airspace between Tokyo and London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Helsinki, according to a spokesperson for flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

Japan-Bound Tanker Clears Strait of Hormuz

An Idemitsu Kosan crude oil tanker has safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first vessel bound for Japan to do so since attacks on Iran heightened tensions in the region and effectively disrupted maritime traffic.

Golden Week Crowds Seen From Above

Japan’s Golden Week holiday period got fully underway on April 29, drawing large crowds to major tourist destinations and airports, where long lines formed as overseas travel surged.

Giant Bears Return to Hokkaido

A series of sightings involving unusually large brown bears in Hokkaido has heightened concerns among local residents, with one 330-kilogram animal captured in Tomamae and another 280-kilogram bear attacking a hunter in Shimamaki.

Golden Week Travel Kicks Off

Full-scale Golden Week travel began on April 29, with Chubu Centrair International Airport experiencing its busiest outbound travel day of the holiday period. The airport was crowded from the morning with vacationers heading overseas.

Japan Faces Higher Power and Gas Bills

Electricity and gas bills for usage in May will rise slightly in Japan, with the impact of tensions involving Iran expected to appear in utility charges from June onward. Larger increases could follow in subsequent months.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Motorcyclist Dies After Deer Collision and Hit-and-Run

A motorcyclist was killed after colliding with a deer and being struck by following vehicles on April 29th in the early hours in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture, with police arresting a 61-year-old woman on suspicion of a hit-and-run.

Man Escapes After Hammer Attack

A man in his 40s is on the run after allegedly attacking two teenage boys with a hammer, injuring police officers and his mother by spraying what is believed to be agricultural chemicals, and then escaping from his home during a police standoff in Tokyo's Fussa on April 29.

Rhino Charges Zoo Keeper Inflicting Serious Injuries

A male zoo keeper in his 50s was seriously injured after being attacked by a rhinoceros at the Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Gardens on April 26.

Rare Japanese Animal Barricades Itself Inside Bank

A Japanese serow, a species designated by the government as a Special Natural Monument, entered a bank in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, on the afternoon of April 27.

Video of Foreigner Wrapped Like Sushi by Police Goes Viral

A viral social media video showing a man believed to be a foreign national being restrained by police in Tokyo has sparked widespread debate, with claims that officers had begun deporting troublesome tourists by wrapping them 'like sushi.'

Man Steals Fire Engine to Get Home

A 57-year-old man was arrested after allegedly stealing a fire engine dispatched to a suspicious fire near a railway station in Aichi Prefecture, then crashing it about 9 kilometers away while attempting to drive back to his home in Chiba Prefecture.

Asahiyama Zoo Worker Says He Dumped and Burned Wife's Body

A male employee of Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, has told investigators that he disposed of his wife's body in the zoo's incinerator and burned it for several hours, police said, as officers continued voluntary questioning of the man in his 30s, according to sources close to the investigation.

Princess Aiko Enjoys Court Music Performance

Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, attended a performance of the traditional Japanese court music art known as gagaku.

< 2 3 4 5 >