Key Takeaways
- Iwakuni Airport in Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture temporarily closed its runway due to a drone alert.
- A flight from Tokyo was rerouted to Hiroshima Airport for landing and refueling due to the closure.
- Law enforcement agencies are investigating whether drones actually flew into Iwakuni Airport’s area.
Tokyo: Iwakuni Airport in Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture, which is used by both civilian and US military aircraft, temporarily closed its runway due to information about several drones possibly entering its airspace, the NHK broadcaster reported.
At 7 p.m. Sunday (10:00 GMT), the Japanese Transport Ministry received information that several drones possibly entered the airspace of Iwakuni Airport. Aircraft operations were suspended for about an hour.
As a result of the incident, a flight from Tokyo had to be rerouted to Hiroshima Airport for landing and refueling. It landed in Iwakuni with a delay of about three hours.
Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating whether drones had actually flown into the airport’s area.
