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Typhoon Jebi floods KIX, breaks connecting bridge

Typhoon Jebi floods KIX, breaks connecting bridge

Old Sep 5, 2018, 8:54 am
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by AlwaysAisle
Just add to that, technically airport bridge is open. The bridge is built by having two auto traffic roads on each side of the bridge and the center of the bridge is rail track. Only one side of auto traffic road is damaged and another side of auto traffic road on the bridge is perfectly fine.

Right now KIX is closed for air traffic so an authority is limiting access of the bridge to airport employees, other people associated with the airport operation, and contractors working on the airport grounds only. At this moment there is no reason for passengers to be at the airport. This will also keep out people want to see KIX just for the curiosity reason which can increase the traffic congestion at the bridge.

Authorities know that airport itself will be back to operation way before the bridge will be fixed. How to ensure appropriate access to the airport once the airport reopen is one of big topic at this moment.

P.S.
Part of the rail track on the bridge was also damaged and both JR West and Nankai are suspending rail service to KIX at this moment and there is no date set for resumption of rail service to KIX at this moment.
The rail bridge didnt look that bad from the news reports - maybe some overhead wire repairs maybe but no structural faults or is there ?.

If anything the one that makes most sense right now would be (assuming road and rail bridge is out of operation) would be to ban all cars for now and set up shuttle bus service from Rinku town as that has both Nakai and JR platforms running every 10 minutes to the airport till the bridge is fully re-opened.

Thats what would make most sense to me right now..
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Old Sep 5, 2018, 9:02 am
  #17  
 
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https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6295907

Looks like theyre aiming for initial 1 runway ops - looks like the B runway can re-open relatively quickly if they can sort out the bridge side of things.
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Old Sep 5, 2018, 9:53 am
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KIX Airport Authority had a press conference on Sept. 5. All people stranded at the airport wished to be evacuated have all been evacuated from KIX, which totaled 7800 people.

Runway No. 1 (06R/24L) was the one got under water, but Runway No. 2 (06L/24R) was not under water and the airport authority said can be used for landing and takeoff relatively soon. However, for the resumption of passenger flights, beside access problem on the bridge, underground fuel system for aircraft have to be repaired and inspected, also the terminal building need to be repaired before the resumption of passenger flights. Because of that the airport authority said at this moment they do not have set date for the resumption of passenger flights.
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Old Sep 5, 2018, 4:45 pm
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Originally Posted by mrploddy
The rail bridge didnt look that bad from the news reports - maybe some overhead wire repairs maybe but no structural faults or is there ?.

If anything the one that makes most sense right now would be (assuming road and rail bridge is out of operation) would be to ban all cars for now and set up shuttle bus service from Rinku town as that has both Nakai and JR platforms running every 10 minutes to the airport till the bridge is fully re-opened.

Thats what would make most sense to me right now..
I've taken that bridge many times, but have never seen it busy with traffic. Seems to me that they could handle traffic flow in both directions on half of the bridge. The main problem though might be redirecting traffic from the highways that lead to the bridge from the mainland. Will be interesting to see how they work it out.
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Old Sep 5, 2018, 5:57 pm
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A big quake has hit Hokkaido and CTS is going to be closed whole day today (6 SEP). KIX and CTS are both down.

Last edited by O Sora; Sep 8, 2018 at 4:05 am
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Old Sep 5, 2018, 7:01 pm
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Unbelievable.
Talk about adding salt to wound.
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Old Sep 5, 2018, 7:07 pm
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Prime Minister Abe has made a statement on Thursday morning that domestic flights at KIX will resume in next few days, detail will be announced on Friday. Interesting... Abe has also made a statement that will work toward resumption of international flights at KIX.
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Old Sep 5, 2018, 10:06 pm
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ITM's large enough to handle heavies right--do they have any customs facilities for intl flights left like Haneda did when it was exclusively domestic?

You'd think that 3 airports, all with 2500m+ runways, within close proximity would provide enough wiggle room when one goes inoperable...
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Old Sep 5, 2018, 10:16 pm
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Originally Posted by JMBResona
ITM's large enough to handle heavies right--do they have any customs facilities for intl flights left like Haneda did when it was exclusively domestic?

You'd think that 3 airports, all with 2500m+ runways, within close proximity would provide enough wiggle room when one goes inoperable...
Its the slot restrictions at ITM that are the issue
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Old Sep 5, 2018, 10:58 pm
  #25  
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Originally Posted by mrploddy
Its the slot restrictions at ITM that are the issue
Originally Posted by JMBResona
ITM's large enough to handle heavies right--do they have any customs facilities for intl flights left like Haneda did when it was exclusively domestic?

You'd think that 3 airports, all with 2500m+ runways, within close proximity would provide enough wiggle room when one goes inoperable...
In addition to slot restrictions, ITM has basically been rebuilt over the years such that there is no more infrastructure in place to have passenger facilities for international flights (maybe other than a few charters?). The runway and terminals routinely handle domestic 777s (and formerly 747s) so aircraft size isn't a problem, maybe except for the A380.

NGO was overbuilt, has some spare capacity, and is only ~1.5 hours away by train, so a few flights are being moved there as well as Tokyo, but KIX is the 3rd busiest airport in Japan so there's no way ITM and UKB (Kobe) can handle the extra aircraft and people, especially given how small UKB is.
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Old Sep 6, 2018, 12:43 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by O Sora
A big quake has hit Hokkaido and CTS is going to be closed whole day today (6 SEP). KIX and CTS are both down, wow.
Originally Posted by evergrn
Unbelievable.
Talk about adding salt to wound.
Third and fifth busiest airports in Japan closed!!
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Old Sep 6, 2018, 12:59 am
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Originally Posted by AlwaysAisle
Prime Minister Abe has made a statement on Thursday morning that domestic flights at KIX will resume in next few days, detail will be announced on Friday. Interesting... Abe has also made a statement that will work toward resumption of international flights at KIX.
I heard they were shooting for resuming some flights (esp Peach) tomorrow at KIX.
Whoever these workers are that must be working long hours to do safety checks, quick fixes, and makeshift airport operations in order to get KIX back up and running, when their own home situations must be in disarray... takes a lot of dedication. If a natural disaster struck my home and workplace, naturally my attention would go to my home.

Originally Posted by bpe
In addition to slot restrictions, ITM has basically been rebuilt over the years such that there is no more infrastructure in place to have passenger facilities for international flights (maybe other than a few charters?).
Yeah, now ITM almost feels like a train station more than an international airport.
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Old Sep 6, 2018, 1:02 am
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Originally Posted by NewbieRunner
Third and fifth busiest airports in Japan closed!!
I was watching NHK News.
It's incredible to see this new thing (earthquake) dominate news coverage, while this dire situation at KIX has become a complete afterthought.
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Old Sep 6, 2018, 1:57 am
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Japan is really being raped by nature this year :/
Currently I don't think that KIX will be back to normal business within the next months.
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Old Sep 6, 2018, 10:34 am
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Originally Posted by evergrn
I was watching NHK News.
It's incredible to see this new thing (earthquake) dominate news coverage, while this dire situation at KIX has become a complete afterthought.
To be fair, the whole of Hokkaido losing power is (was) a pretty big deal as well...
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