Flights Suspended After Wireless Comms Fail at Tokyo Airport

Aug. 2, 2005
Haneda Airport, which deals mainly with domestic flights, came to a standstill after power to the wireless communications system went down, paralyzing exchanges between the flight control tower and aircraft.

TOKYO (AP) -- An airport in Tokyo temporarily suspended all incoming and outgoing flights Tuesday due to a glitch in the control tower's communications system, the Transport Ministry said.

Haneda Airport, which deals mainly with domestic flights, came to a standstill after power to the wireless communications system went down, paralyzing exchanges between the flight control tower and aircraft, said Koji Ono, an official from the ministry's airport control division.

Public broadcaster NHK said that the building that houses the control tower lost power at about 11:41 a.m. and that a backup system did not start up immediately.

Flights resumed about an hour later, NHK reported, adding that at least 21 flights operated by Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Skymark Airlines Co. were diverted or turned back during the stoppage.

There were no immediate reports of accidents arising from the glitch.