Thursday, October 3, 2024 The travel industry in Japan and globally experienced a sudden halt in operations at Miyazaki Airport, located in southwestern Japan, after an unexpected event on Wednesday. A wartime dud shell from World War II, long forgotten beneath the taxiway, exploded early that morning, causing significant damage to the airport’s infrastructure. As local media reported, the blast damaged a section of the taxiway, forcing the airport to temporarily shut down operations for safety checks and repairs.
Despite the disruption, operations resumed the following morning, with the first flight—a Japan Airlines service to Fukuoka—departing at 7:40 a.m. local time.
The incident, which led to the cancellation of 87 flights on Wednesday, has caused a ripple effect that reaches far beyond Japan, affecting global travelers, airlines, and even long-term travel industry trends. For a busy regional airport like Miyazaki, handling both domestic and international travelers, the abrupt shutdown had immediate effects on hundreds of passengers and various airlines. With 87 flights canceled by 2 p.
m. local time, the airport’s temporary closure disrupted travel plans for those flying to and from major hubs like Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Osaka, as well as international connections. The cancellations inconvenienced travelers who were either in transit or planning to use Miyazaki as their gateway to other destinations within Japan and beyond.
Passengers affected by the closure were lef.
