The Kansai International Airport in Japan could be down for at least a week because of the flood brought the Typhoon Jebi. No words on when it will reopen.
On Wednesday, more than 200 flights have been canceled due to the strong Typhoon Jebi. There are more than 30,000 affected travelers, and thousands were evacuated in high-speed boats after a tanker wrecked the bridge connecting mainland Osaka and the airport, sitting on a man-made island and serve as a major transport hub in western Japan.
According to the South China Morning Post, the basement floor of a terminal building and one of the two runways have been severely flooded due to high tide caused by the Typhoon Jebi as it hits western Japan, leaving at least six people dead.
In the official website of the airport, the Terminal 1 has been described as "heavily damaged" and could only say its two runways and bridge would reopen on "September 6 or later." However, some speculated that it could probably take as long as a month.
Since Osaka is one of the most popular destinations for Hong Kong, the Travel Industry Council noted about five tour groups with 140 travelers were still stranded on Wednesday. They were expected to return through Nagoya or Tokyo between Thursday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, about 200 Hongkongers booked in eight tour groups traveling to Osaka have been scrap due to flight cancelations.
From Wednesday until next Monday, Cathay Pacific Airways canceled all flights to and from Osaka. There are special arrangements made to waive charges refunding, re-booking, or re-routing of tickets. The Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines also canceled their flights to Osaka until at least Sunday.
"Kansai airport is the main international airport for all of western Japan and we want to make all efforts at reopening it as soon as possible," Japanese media quoted Osaka prefecture governor Ichiro Matsui as saying.
However, it is still uncertain when will it be reopened.
"But at this point, we're still assessing the damage .... How long will it take? Passenger safety comes first but we want to limit economic damage due to its closure."
Japan has attracted a lot of foreign visitors over the past years, and the record in 2017 hits more than 28 million. The country is also a popular destination during holidays among Hongkongers. Just last July, there are almost 227,000 Hong Kong visitors in Japan, which accounts for approximately 8 percent of all arrivals during that month.
The Japanese government wants to the total tourist number s to 40 million this coming 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be held there.
