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Typhoon Faxai strands thousands at Narita Airport in Japan【Pics & Video】

SoraNews24 Sep 10, 2019
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Store shelves stripped of goods as suspended services leave people with “no escape” at airport.

Typhoon Faxai made landfall just north of Tokyo Bay in Chiba Prefecture at 5:00 a.m. on Monday morning, ripping rooftops off buildings and causing commuter chaos at train stations in and around Tokyo.

Being in the direct path of the typhoon left Chiba worse off than many other areas in the region, and that meant the prefecture’s busiest transport hub, Narita Airport, was also affected.

Not only were international and domestic flights cancelled due to the severe winds, but after the storm passed, rail and bus services remained suspended throughout the morning.

こ、これは…

成田空港から帰れないと言う事なのか😧 pic.twitter.com/YLioYYVuRx

— 戸田れい (@toda_rei) September 9, 2019

Two runways opened shortly after 9:00 a.m., and as flights resumed, more and more travellers began arriving at the airport, only to find that there was no way to leave.

https://twitter.com/m_tsuki_chan/status/1171027412517150720

▼ Not a sign you want to see when arriving at an airport.

成田から出られない説 pic.twitter.com/uZ7IHDqbpn

— キャメル (@chameau) September 9, 2019

It wasn’t long before tired travellers began to surge in numbers inside the terminal.

2019.09.09 成田国際空港第2ターミナル#成田 #成田空港 #台風15号 #帰宅難民 pic.twitter.com/p2Ea7xSObH

— クロネコ/쿠로네코 (@chronocross02) September 9, 2019

Roads around the airport – marked in black on this map – were closed to traffic due to fallen trees and debris.

ふふふ pic.twitter.com/x91AyG4OvQ

— クロネコ/쿠로네코 (@chronocross02) September 9, 2019

With trains and buses cancelled into the afternoon, approximately 6,800 people became stranded at the airport.

成田空港、このクソ混みの中まさかの21時台でチケット売り場販売停止で10時間並んでるのに買えない人が出てきてマジで何してんの、関東のシャトルバス全部こっちに持ってきて5分間隔で運行しても足りないくらいなのに。 pic.twitter.com/VizQYFcO9q

— リア(´◉皿◉`) (@aniotaf) September 9, 2019

It wasn’t long before cries of “we’re stranded” and there’s no escape” began to appear on social media, as travellers likened their situation to being stranded on a deserted island.

完全に成田空港が陸の孤島と化してる

電車もバスも運休で脱出出来ません。

線路と高速道路の損傷らしいので、一般路線のバスを狙ったがダメぽい pic.twitter.com/MrlntzDpQg

— ラオス初の鳥カフェ&コーヒーを生産加工する農園！ (@laos_japan) September 9, 2019

While some decided to walk home through the flooded streets, in the hope that they would be able to step inside their front door by nightfall…

成田空港から徒歩で帰宅

まっすぐ進まないと夜までに着かないから、まっすぐ進みます😇 pic.twitter.com/kU0Y7ZQM1Q

— ラオス初の鳥カフェ&コーヒーを生産加工する農園！ (@laos_japan) September 9, 2019

▼ Others chose to wait it out at the terminal.

https://twitter.com/Mas3333da/status/1171017463560949760

With so many people at the airport, convenience store shelves were stripped of food.

https://twitter.com/yasuatai/status/1170940715884400640

#成田空港 #陸の孤島 pic.twitter.com/P1V36IqIXO

— tabizuma(タビズマ) (@tabizuma) September 9, 2019

Drinks in vending machines ran dangerously low, with red lights indicating a large number of sold-out items.

成田空港、飲み物もやべぇ。

ガチで陸の孤島やー

お釣切れで金入れても水出てこない自販機あるし。やばし。 pic.twitter.com/UygMWXImOX

— ぞにき☗☖ (@zoniki_) September 9, 2019

Thankfully, Narita Airport was able to provide some provisions, in the form of water and snacks.

成田空港やるじゃん pic.twitter.com/BlybjoRyWV

— ゆーぞー👯‍♀️🐰🍳🐧⚡️🌸☄️🔥⚔️🎪🍃 (@yumekoisaaaaaan) September 9, 2019

▼ After a long and tiring wait, trains finally resumed running just before 6:00 p.m.

成田スカイアクセス線運転再開！！
よしみんな！！成田空港から脱出しよう！！ pic.twitter.com/QsfBblxCIy

— 戸田れい (@toda_rei) September 9, 2019

As soon as services resumed, crowds surged towards the exits, eventually coming to a standstill as people attempted to head home. According to Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA), approximately 13,000 people were inside the airport at 8:00 p.m.

成田空港にて、アップデート。続々と成田にランディングして、京成アクセス線(スカイライナー)が再開したからか、駅へ向かう地下へのエスカレーター人が群がり、通行止め。。。逆側へいけません。。。どんどん酷くなっている気がする。。。#成田空港 #難民 #動けません pic.twitter.com/IgFzOd59WC

— Miyako 🌎旅人系ナガサキジン (@freespirit_myk) September 9, 2019

Lines for the high-speed Keisei Skyliner train, which links the airport to downtown Tokyo, were incredibly long, even before getting through the ticket gates to the platform, which is where this video was filmed.

https://twitter.com/mSPzSEqTak7wsGx/status/1171022059926769667

Crowds of people remained at the airport until late in the evening, as rail and bus services gradually transported travellers out of the terminal. And with restaurants closing early, due to being short-staffed in the face of such overwhelming demand, we can’t help but wonder: What might’ve happened if Narita Airport was left stranded for more than one day?

With the Rugby World Cup due to commence in just over a week, and the Tokyo Olympics now less than a year away, it’s a salient question that we hope transport staff and emergency services are now seriously addressing.

Source: Naver Matome
Featured image: Pakutaso
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