Air Japan cancels Bangkok-Tokyo flights, stranding passengers

Passengers were left disappointed and frustrated when their Air Japan flight to Tokyo was abruptly cancelled due to technical issues.

The fledgling airline, a low-cost carrier within the ANA group, found itself at the centre of controversy after it revealed that it operates with a single aircraft, which brought about a series of cancellations affecting travellers from both Thailand and abroad.

Passengers bound for Narita Airport in Japan were caught off-guard when Air Japan announced a lengthy delay, followed by the cancellation of not one, but four flights. These were scheduled to depart from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok at 12.15am today.

The situation escalated when it came to light that passengers, having made complete arrangements such as hotel bookings and travel plans, were left stranded. The airline’s offer to refund tickets did little to quell the growing discontent, as any attempts to reschedule flights resulted in additional charges. This led to a group of passengers staging a protest at the airport gate, demanding more substantial assistance from Air Japan to resolve their travel dilemmas, reported KhaoSod.

What added to the shock was the discovery that Air Japan, which had just inaugurated its Bangkok-Tokyo route on February 9, was operating with a solitary aeroplane. This severely limited the airline’s ability to manage the situation by transferring passengers to another flight.

In related news, an El Al flight en route from Phuket to Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel encountered a spine-chilling moment on Saturday night as unidentified hostile elements attempted to seize control of its communication network.

This nerve-racking incident, the second of its kind within a week, sent shockwaves through the aviation world. Despite the menacing takeover attempt, the aircraft managed to reach its destination unscathed, ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew on board.

In other news, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is gearing up to welcome a surge of Russian tourists to Thailand, unveiling plans to tackle the flight shortage bottleneck. Acknowledging reports of a burgeoning number of Russian tourists eyeing Thailand for their holidays, PM Srettha highlighted the critical lack of flights to accommodate the demand.