Over 10,000 Taiwanese travelers stranded at Narita Airport; China Airlines and EVA Air dispatch empty planes to bring them home

▲ Heavy snow in Japan disrupts flights, leaving Taiwanese passengers stranded at the airport. (Photo / Eastern News)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Heavy snowfall in Tokyo and Chiba on the 8th and 9th caused major disruptions to public transportation and flight schedules, leaving a large number of Taiwanese passengers stranded at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture. On the 10th, China Airlines and EVA Air decided to urgently deploy passenger planes to fly them back to Taiwan.

Narita Airport had around 8,000 passengers affected by disrupted itineraries on the afternoon of the 9th, who have since been gradually evacuated. China Airlines Japan Branch stated that on the 10th, it urgently dispatched an additional empty plane with a capacity of 276 seats from Taipei to Narita Airport, scheduled to arrive at 7:30 PM Japan time (6:30 PM Taiwan time), and will send the stranded passengers back to Taiwan Taoyuan Airport at 8:30 PM. China Airlines has about 160 passengers stranded at Narita Airport, and the additional flight will also carry stranded passengers from other airlines such as TransAsia Airways.

EVA Air Japan Branch also announced that EVA Air plans to dispatch a 252-seat passenger plane from Narita Airport around 8–9 PM tonight to fly the stranded passengers back to Taiwan Taoyuan Airport. This aircraft was originally overnighting at Narita and was temporarily rerouted to carry more passengers. It is estimated that there are about 200 to 300 EVA Air passengers stranded at Narita Airport. (News source: Central News Agency)