Hundreds of Flights Canceled as Typhoon Lan Hits Japan

Commercial aviation is taking another hit this weekend as hundreds of flights have been canceled in and out of Japan while the nation prepares for the onslaught of Typhoon Lan.

The storm, which has already clocked maximum wind speeds of up to 100 mph, made landfall on Honshu, Japan’s main island, early Monday morning. At least five people have been injured according to the Associated Press (h/t Fox News) and one death has also been reported, although it was not clear if that was caused by the typhoon’s winds.

More than 380,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in central Japan.

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American Airlines, Air Canada, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have issued a waiver for passengers bound for select airports in Japan, including those in Tokyo (Haneda and Narita airports), Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka Airports.

Hawaiian Airlines has announced the postponement of flight HA852 departing Haneda for Kona has been postponed. Originally scheduled to depart Haneda at 11:55 p.m. on October 22, the new departure time is estimated to be at 7:00 p.m. on October 23.

ANA and Japan Airlines, Japan’s two national carriers, have announced flight cancellations and delays at a variety of airports throughout the country and both encourage travelers to confirm their flights before heading to the airport.

The storm is weakening, according to CNN, but it is expected to make a direct hit on Tokyo with “damaging winds and heavy rains” later in the day.

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2017 has certainly seen more than its fair share of weather events. Beyond Harvey, Irma, Katia and Maria, which caused billions of dollars of damage in the Caribbean and the United States, Typhoon Hato was responsible for significant air cancellations in Hong Kong and China in August of this year. Last September, Japan was struck by back-to-back typhoons, Mindulle and Kompasu. Mindulle was the first typhoon to make landfall in Japan in more than 11 years.

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