Typhoon forces Japan-bound flight back to Vancouver
CBC News | Posted: September 4, 2018 5:33 PM | Last Updated: September 4, 2018
Air Canada flight had been in the air for several hours when it turned back
An Air Canada flight bound for Osaka from Vancouver was turned back while flying over the Pacific Ocean due to a deadly typhoon that hit western Japan on Tuesday.
The Osaka Kansai Airport was forced to shut down after high seas flooded one of its two runways, according to Japanese officials.
According to flight trackers on Twitter, Air Canada Rouge Flight 1951 was in the air for several hours before it turned back to Vancouver early Tuesday.
Air Canada said in a statement that the Osaka airport was still open when the flight left Vancouver.
Japanese media estimated that more than 700 flights were cancelled due to Typhoon Jebi, which has killed at least two people and injured more than 100.
Jebi is the strongest typhoon to make landfall in Japan since 1993, according to Japan's Kyodo News service.
With files from The Associated Press