Typhoon Jebi

[sjk]

From what I’ve just seen I’d have to imagine KIX is going to be out of action for quite a while. Large parts are now under water, with high tide still to come.

The bridge off the island has also been damaged, so there are a lot of people stranded.

 

[Himeno]

：)   린 音 on Twitter

How long was Sendai airport closed for in March 2011?
Will have to see if QF33/34 is cancelled tomorrow (doesn't go today).

How strong is it compared to Typhoon Wipha in 2013? I was in Tokyo when Wipha came though and most things carried on as normal.

 

[kyle]

Now at Conrad Osaka. Got stuck at the ground floor about 2 to 3 hours ago as the lifts were out of action. The worst has passed apparently. Still some rain not so windy now.

Can see some exterior damage to a nearby building.

 

[sjk]

Sendai was out of action for just over a month.

 

[Denali]

Friends are in Osaka, they have secured sake and are managing better than expected and say the worst has passed

 

[Sprucegoose]

looks pretty good to me. they manage disaster pretty well. they really plan for the super quake due anytime. they can feed you for a week from the hotel. its all well planned out.

 

[sjk]

It was the strongest I’ve been in since the early 90s, and those were further west. Quite fast moving, though, which will limit the rain damage. There is building debris all over the place in Kobe.

 

[sjk]

looks pretty good to me.

Well, apart from the hundreds of millions in damage and multiple fatalities, maybe.

 

[drron]

It looks like a lot of damage.

.

.
And a video here showing a small tanker and the bridge to KIX.
Osaka Kansai Airport Has Been Flooded And Closed By A Typhoon - One Mile at a Time
We are scheduled to fly out of KIX on the 22nd of this month.fingers crossed.

 

[kyle]

And we're scheduled to fly out on the 8th...

 

[Himeno]

I would expect that once the water has been pumped out and the damaged areas of T1 are made usable, the airport will reopen to limited flights (maybe as soon as tomorrow), reaching normal operations once the bridge is repaired (which from what I can see of the damage, might be as soon as a week).

 

[Melburnian1]

I would expect that once the water has been pumped out and the damaged areas of T1 are made usable, the airport will reopen to limited flights (maybe as soon as tomorrow), reaching normal operations once the bridge is repaired (which from what I can see of the damage, might be as soon as a week).

Himeno, I've only used it for an incoming flight a decade ago so my memory is not great re it.

If the airport and its bridge were open and sea conditions permitted after the rain and typhoon had passed, is there any feasible way to transfer passengers to and fro between the 'mainland' and artificial island by ferries should road and rail be cut?

That raises other issues such as how do they get catering to aircraft, though.

Maybe aviation fuel pipelines or associated infrastructure are damaged and perhaps additional buildings apart from the basement flooded, or some aerobridges are unusable?

 

[Himeno]

Himeno, I've only used it for an incoming flight a decade ago so my memory is not great re it.

If the airport and its bridge were open and sea conditions permitted after the rain and typhoon had passed, is there any feasible way to transfer passengers to and fro between the 'mainland' and artificial island by ferries should road and rail be cut?

That raises other issues such as how do they get catering to aircraft, though.

Maybe aviation fuel pipelines or associated infrastructure are damaged and perhaps additional buildings apart from the basement flooded, or some aerobridges are unusable?

I haven't used KIX for a while either. I was considering using it for an upcoming trip, but ITM has better flight timetables for what I needed. I normally use ITM instead of KIX. Last time I was there was for a CX flight to TPE.

My understanding is that they get fuel to the airport by ship where it is then pumped through underground pipes to the aircraft. I'd say that's what the ship which later ended up in the bridge was doing.

There are high speed ferries in use by the airport. They are being used now to transport people stuck at the airport to Kobe.

The outbound lanes (to the mainland) on the bridge appear to be undamaged. They could make that both directions until the inbound side can reopen.

 

[drron]

Another article on the people trapped at KIX.the video shows the ferries in use.
Over 3,000 spend the night at Kansai Airport- News - NHK WORLD - English

 

[drron]

From the KIX website.
International Departures
T1Terminal 1
Not Busy
T2Terminal 2
Not Busy
Connecting bridge information
JR Stop Running

Nankai Stop Running

Roads Closed

More pics-View attachment 135534

(The tanker is seen on the right)
[Photo courtesy of West Nippon Expressway Co.].

High seas poured into Kansai International Airport. (The Asahi Shimbun)

View attachment 135533
View attachment 135532

 

[Quickstatus]

Friends are in Osaka, they have secured sake and are managing better than expected and say the worst has passed

There is the eye of a storm?

 

[Himeno]

There is the eye of a storm?

The storm is well past Osaka now. In the Sea of Japan heading for Russia.

 

[Himeno]

No update on the reopening of runways etc at KIX yet. They have started shuttle bus service (one way) from KIX T1 to Izumisano Station (the last station on the Nankai Main Line before the turn onto the airport bridge).

NHK news posted 2pm JST this afternoon,
most of the water is removed from the air field. Parts of building basements remain flooded.
North side of bridge is fine. Remains closed to public access.
ATC radio system was flooded, being inspected.
Parts of automated baggage system damaged.
Parts of terminal with no power.
Storm is now a low pressure system off Hokkaido.

 

[drron]

Reports that KIX will be closed for at least a week.
Kansai airport to remain closed for about a week after typhoon damage

 

[sjk]

Abe announced earlier today that some domestic flights will resume from KIX tomorrow.

But a full resumption of international flights looks to be quite a while away. Serious talk today (including from the Governor of Osaka, the president of Kansai Airports, and the national transport minister) of finding ways to enable UKB and ITM to take international passengers in the meantime.

Non-trivial damage to the railway line/bridge has also been discovered. They're saying that probably won't be repaired until after the road bridge.