Superjumbo delayed on first flight to Tokyo

The first flight of an Airbus SAS A380 from Tokyo had to be delayed because of bad weather conditions. The flight was operated by Singapore Airlines, the only company to operate the aircrafts in the world.

Stephen Forshaw, a spokesperson for Singapore Airlines, said that the flight had to be diverted to Nagoya instead of landing in Tokyo, as planned.

“A safe landing could not be completed at Narita, and after the pilot was advised by air traffic control of strong winds and low-level wind shear, the decision was made to divert to Nagoya for fuel, and to await clearing of conditions at Narita,” Forshaw said by email.

The flight got into Tokyo four hours behind schedule according to reports on the company website. The return flight is also expected to leave for Singapore an 90 minutes late, as a result of the delay.

Aya Yamazaki, a spokesperson for Narita Airport said that 14 planes had to be diverted due to adverse weather conditions.

Tokyo is the first Asian destination for the jet which is capable of carrying 394 passengers and 28 crew members distributed across two stories of seats. Singapore Airlines has ordered a total of 19 superjumbos and received just four so far.

The first commercial flight with the Airbus SAS A380 left Singapore for Sydney Australia in October last year. In March, services to London began. Tokyo is the third destination to be served by the superjumbo.