Tokyo, Jan 5 (EFE).- At least 215 domestic flights were cancelled at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Friday due to runway closure days after the deadly collision of two planes earlier this week.
Thousands of flights from the airport have been suspended since the accident on Tuesday.
Another 200 flights are expected to be cancelled on Saturday when thousands are likely to return to Tokyo after the New Year holidays.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) reported the cancellation of 98 and 102 flights respectively on Friday, leaving more than 33,000 passengers grounded.
Other airlines, such as Skymark and Star Flyer canceled 15 flights and alerted their customers about possible unexpected cancellations in the coming days.
Flight interruptions are expected to continue until the crashed planes are cleared from the runway and safety checks are carried out.
On Thursday, JAL estimated a loss of around 15 billion yen (over $1 billion) due to the accident.
The accident on Tuesday occurred shortly after the JAL flight landed at Haneda airport and collided with a Coast Guard plane, causing both aircraft to catch fire.
The Japanese Ministry of Transportation has said the Coast Guard plane did not have permission to enter the runway.
The 379 passengers and crew onboard the commercial aircraft were successfully evacuated from the burning plane, although 14 of them were injured.
Of the six on the Coast Guard plane, only the captain, who was seriously injured, managed to survive.
The Coast Guard plane was en route to deliver relief aid for those affected by the strong earthquake that killed over 90 people and left hundreds missing on the western coast of central Japan on Monday. EFE
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